A 60-year-old New Jersey cardiologist has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for illegally prescribing and distributing Oxycodone pills.
Raymond Catania, DO, first admitted to prescribing and distributing thousands of Oxycodone pills in March 2021. At the time, authorities said the doctor could face up to 20 years in prison for his actions.
“From January 2016 through March 2017, Catania issued prescriptions for thousands of Oxycodone pills to one of his patients, and Catania did so without a legitimate medical purpose and outside of the usual course of professional practice,” according to a prepared statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. “Catania also issued prescriptions for thousands of Oxycodone pills to that patient’s wife even though the wife was not Catania’s patient. Oxycodone—a Schedule II controlled substance—has a high potential for abuse that can lead to severe psychological and physical dependence and can result in fatal overdoses.”
In addition to the 30-month prison sentence, Catania has been fined $25,000. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced the sentencing, crediting the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance throughout the investigation. U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp handed down the sentencing.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.