A Baldwin doctor admitted Thursday that he prescribed painkillers to patients that he knew were addicted without performing medical exams on them—including two men who died of drug overdoses days later.
Dr. William Conway pleaded guilty at Central Islip federal court to conspiracy and distribution of oxycodone.
Conway was arrested last year after DEA agents raided his office as a part of a larger probe of Long Island doctors selling prescriptions for commonly abused drugs such as oxycodone.
Two men, Giovanni Manzella and Christopher Basmas, died in 2011 within days Conway prescribing them oxycodone, authorities said.
Conway issued 5,554 oxycodone prescriptions, or 782,032 pills, to numerous individuals between January 2009 and November 2011, authorities have said.
Conway’s former office assistant, Robert Hachemeister, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the same charge,according to court records.
Federal prosecutors said Hachemeister, who possesses no medical or nursing degree, distributed thousands of oxycodone pills using prescription pads pre-signed by Conway between 2011 and 2012.
Both man face up to 20 years in prison.
