NY: Doctor and Eight Others Charged with Distributing Opioids and Other Pills

Healthcare Facility Rx Drug Diversion – Pill Mill

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictments of nine individuals, including Tribeca physician Dr. Noel Smith, for charges including conspiring to distribute tens of thousands of prescription pills, including opioids and other controlled substances, in Manhattan and Staten Island. The defendants allegedly operated a scheme that involved obtaining oxycodone, Adderall, Klonopin and Suboxone pills in Manhattan to illegally sell in Staten Island.

The defendants are charged in three New York State Supreme Court indictments that were the result of a yearlong wiretap investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the New York City Police Department, the Business Integrity Commission, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, and the New York Strike Force Tactical Diversion Squad.

“As alleged, these defendants used the ongoing opioid crisis to exploit the suffering and addiction of others. And to make matters worse, a trusted Manhattan doctor prescribed pills to the defendants, which were then sold illegally to New Yorkers,” said District Attorney Bragg. “We are grateful for the collaboration with our law enforcement partners and will continue to work across agencies to hold accountable all who make our streets less safe and endanger the lives of New Yorkers with illicit prescription drugs.”

“Today’s charges prove again that New York City’s fight against the illegal drug trade is unrelenting,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “The NYPD, together with all of our law-enforcement partners, will pursue these criminals however they operate – and when the perpetrators are trusted members of the medical community, their crimes are especially appalling. I thank and commend the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, the NYC Business Integrity Commission, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, the DEA’s New York Division, and everyone else involved in this case for their exceptional work.”

“This investigation demonstrates how the diversion of prescription medication precipitates drug peddling throughout our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “Investigators learned that Dr. Noel Smith prescribed controlled substances in a manner inconsistent with public health and safety which put many people in harm’s way. I want to thank our law enforcement partners who worked collectively on this significant investigation.”

“BIC values working in partnership with NYPD, Manhattan DA’s Office, the DEA’s New York Division and the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor and our collective continued efforts to work as partners in public safety,” said BIC Commissioner and Chair Elizabeth Crotty.

“The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor remains committed to working with all its law enforcement partners to eliminate the scourge of illegal narcotics in the Port District and elsewhere in the metropolitan area, especially when it involves organized crime” said Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor New York Executive Director Walter Arsenault. “We thank the New York County District Attorney’s Office for their work on this case and for our continued partnership in keeping the public safe.”

Smith, a Tribeca-based family practitioner, is charged with numerous counts of Criminal Sale of a Prescription for a Controlled Substance by a Practitioner for writing prescriptions for Adderall, Klonopin and Suboxone to Timothy Bonaguro, Christopher Gorga, Ivan Iorizzo, Mark, Lanfranchi, and Louis Ventafredda.  

Along with associate Anthony Santo, Bonaguo, Gorga, Iorizzo, Lanfranchi, and Ventafredda are charged with Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree and numerous counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree for participating in a scheme to obtain and fill the prescriptions from Smith and distribute the pills through illegal street-level sales to buyers on Staten Island. 

To build up an inventory of pills, Iorizzo, Lanfranchi and Ventafredda designed a plan that would maximize their hauls:

Iorizzo obtained prescriptions in his name for Adderall, Klonopin and Suboxone.

Bonaguro and Gorga obtained prescriptions in their names for Adderall and Klonopin.

Iorizzo, Lanfranchi and Ventafredda would assume the identity of one of Iorizzo’s brothers for Adderall and Klonopin prescriptions.

Iorizzo, Lanfranchi and Santo would assume the identity of another one of Iorizzo’s brothers for Adderall and Klonopin prescriptions.

Iorizzo, Lanfranchi, Santo, and Ventafredda are also charged with Identity Theft in the First Degree for impersonating Iorizzo’s brothers in order to obtain extra inventory of pills to sell. 

In a separate indictment, Iorizzo and Ventafredda are charged along with Elia Albanese and Carmine Russo with Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and numerous counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree for participating in a scheme to obtain oxycodone pills from a different Midtown Manhattan doctor and illegally sell the pills. Iorizzo and Ventafredda carried out a similar scheme for building inventory.  

Albanese and Russo obtained prescriptions in their names for oxycodone from the midtown doctor in their names and would get them filled in Manhattan. Iorizzo and Ventafredda would then run the pills obtained by Albanese and Russo so that Iorizzo  and associates could then sell the oxycodone on Staten Island.

Assistant D.A.s Anne Ternes and Mao Yu Lin are handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Julieta V. Lozano (Chief of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau), Executive Assistant D.A.s Christopher Conroy (Senior Advisor to the Investigation Division) and Susan Hoffinger (Investigation Division Chief). Assistant District Attorney Sun Moon Heo, Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor; Senior Financial Investigator Robert Pomeroy and former Senior Financial Investigator Evelyn Marrero; Rackets Investigators Robert Mistretta, Daniel Frooks, and Shannon Rowe; Investigative Analysts L. Jackson Howell and Benjamin Kobrin; Trial Preparation Assistants William Briskin, Miranda Coombe, and Georgia Longstreet Joseph; and former Investigative Analysts Alessandro Schooley, Lauren Davila, Sloane Ruffa, and Anna Bruckner, also provided assistance with the investigation.

District Attorney Bragg thanked the Criminal Enterprise Investigation Section of the New York City Police Department, especially Detective Brian O’Keeffe, New York Strike Force- Tactical Diversion Squad, the Business Integrity Commission, especially Matthew Gonzalez, Deputy Director of IT and Chief Information Security Officer, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, the New York State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, and the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for their assistance with the investigation. District Attorney Bragg also thanked the New York State Department of Health for providing continuity of care for patients of Smith.

Defendant Information

ELIA ALBANESE
New York, NY
Charges:

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a class B felony, nine counts

Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count

TIMOTHY BONAGURO
Parlin, NJ
Charges:

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a class D felony, eight counts

Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

CHRISTOPHER GORGA
Matawan, NJ
Charges:

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a class D felony, four counts

Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

IVAN IORIZZO
Staten Island, NY
Charges:

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a class B felony, four counts

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a class D felony, 59 counts

Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count

Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a class E felony, two counts

Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, 15 counts

Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

MARK LANFRANCHI
Morganville, NJ
Charges:

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a class D felony, 57 counts

Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, 13 counts, D felony

Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

CARMINE RUSSO
New York, NY
Charges:

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a class B felony, eight counts

Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count

ANTHONY SANTO
Staten Island, NY
Charges:

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a D felony, 12 counts

Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, six counts

Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

NOEL SMITH, M.D.
New York, NY
Charges:

Criminal Sale of a Prescription for a Controlled Substance by a Practitioner, a class C felony, 30 counts

LOUIS VENTAFREDDA
Staten Island, NY
Charges:

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a class B felony, 17 counts

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a class D felony, 14 counts

Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count

Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a class E felony, two counts

Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, eight counts

Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.

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