The Associated Press State & Local Wire

July 30, 2003, Wednesday, BC cycle

Psychiatrist charged with illegal sale of prescription drugs

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 172 words

DATELINE: NEW YORK

A New Jersey man has been arrested on charges that he illegally sold prescriptions out of an office on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, authorities said.
Aaron Friedberg, 40, of Alpine, N.J., was taken into custody after a four-month investigation by police and the Manhattan district attorney’s office, said Det. Carolyn Chew, a police spokeswoman.
Published reports said Friedberg, a psychiatrist, would see up to 30 people an hour, charging $150 for a prescription for 100 to 120 pills of Xanax or Klonopin, both antidepressants.
Fifteen other people, including David Santone, 42, and Kenneth Punllinger, also 42, were arrested in connection with the investigation, police said.
Authorities said Santone and Punllinger would travel to methadone clinics in the city and direct addicts to Friedberg’s clinic, getting a kickback of 10 to 20 pills to sell for $10 each on the street.
Police said they were charging Friedberg with criminal sale of a prescription and criminal sale of a controlled substance.