Asbury Park Press (New Jersey)

February 9, 2006 Thursday

Feds charge doctor, say he filled ‘hundreds of unlawful prescriptions’

BYLINE: A. SCOTT FERGUSON/STAFF WRITER

SECTION: B; Pg. 3

LENGTH: 358 words

A former Ocean County geriatric psychiatrist faces federal drug charges after a grand jury indicted him for distributing hundreds of illegal prescriptions for painkillers during a five-year period.
Dr. James M. Stanch, 53, was arrested at his brother’s Haddon Township, Camden County, home Wednesday by federal authorities.
A federal grand jury had indicted Stanch last week on charges of distribution and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, conspiracy and obtaining the drugs fraudulently, Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Katz said.
Specifically, the federal indictment charges Stanch with writing prescriptions for painkillers such as OxyContin, Percocet, Endocet, Roxicet, MS Contin and Oramorph from November 1999 to May 2004 in Ocean County, and distributing Ritalin during that time.
“He filled hundreds and hundreds of unlawful prescriptions during a five-year period,” Katz said Wednesday.
Stanch’s practice was in his Stafford home, although Katz said it does not appear he had been living there or practicing medicine there for some time. He was officially charged Wednesday, then released after posting $150,000 bail. He will appear again in federal court in Trenton next week.
Under federal law, Stanch could face up to 20 years in prison for distributing the painkillers and an additional four years in prison on the remaining two charges, Katz said.
Although Stanch still has his medical license, his license to distribute controlled dangerous substances – issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration – has been revoked, Katz said.
It is not the first time Stanch has found himself in trouble with law enforcement.
In 1998, police raided his home and confiscated more than 100 firearms, including a number of assault weapons, and about 40,000 rounds of ammunition.
In a 2000 plea agreement with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Stanch pleaded guilty to four charges, including possession of a machine gun and possession of assault firearms. He and received a probationary sentence and lost his guns.
Stanch went on to tell the court he was a serious gun collector and shot targets for sport.