Long Island doctor sentenced to 50 months for illegally prescribing oxycodone
NEW YORK — A medical doctor and the former Health Minister of Guyana, was sentenced to 50 months imprisonment for illegally distributing oxycodone, a highly addictive prescription pain medication. The initial arrest stems from a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) in New York, the United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Long Island Tactical Diversion Squad, and U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP).
Noel Blackman, 69, of Valley Stream, NY, operated “pain management” clinics in Elmhurst in Queens County, Franklin Square in Nassau County, and Cypress Hills in Brooklyn. According to court filings and statements made in court during the guilty plea, Blackman wrote prescriptions for more than 365,000 oxycodone pills in a two year period.
“Blackman prescribed highly addictive pills to people who had no legitimate need. To add to his crime, he knowingly handed out prescriptions for oxycodone to individuals he knew were already addicted,” said Angel M. Melendez, special agent in charge of HSI New York. “Blackman’s actions make him no different than the street-corner drug pusher. Today’s sentencing should stand as a reminder to others that we will continue our joint law enforcement efforts to ensure that crooked doctors like Blackman can no longer put pen to pad and cause more harm.”
On Feb 7, 2016, HSI agents removed Blackman from a plane at John F. Kennedy International airport en route to Guyana and arrested him in connection with the conspiracy to illegally distribute oxycodone. At the time of his arrest, more than $30,000 was found concealed in his luggage. Blackman admitted that, in exchange for $300 cash payments, he wrote oxycodone prescriptions for 1,920 30 milligram oxycodone pills to people who had no legitimate medical need. As described in court papers, that amount of oxycodone was worth up to $57,600 on the street.
Blackman entered a guilty plea on Aug. 24, 2016. Blackman was sentenced to 50 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally distributing oxycodone. Additionally, he was ordered to forfeit $536,200 in illegal proceeds. The government’s case was prosecuted by the EDNY.
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