A Yonkers psychiatrist admitted to selling more than 100,000 Oxycodone pills and an undisclosed amount of Xanax outside of his regular medical practice, the Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.
Between September 2016 to October 2021, Marc Laruelle, 65, prescribed Oxycodone and Xanax without conducting any medical tests or examinations — charging patients as much as $800 per prescription.
He did so knowing most of the prescriptions would be resold on the black market for recreational use.
Oxycodone is highly addictive. Oxycodone and Purdue Pharmaceutical’s brand-name version Oxycontin were made infamous during the U.S. opioid epidemic as one of the most commonly abused opioids in the country.
“Marc Laruelle abused his medical license and violated the oath of his profession when he prescribed more than 100,000 doses of a highly potent and addictive opioid without a legitimate medical need,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “As this case makes clear, we will aggressively prosecute physicians who are contributing to the national opioid crisis.”
Laruelle pleaded guilty to one count of distributing Oxycodone, amphetamines and Xanax.
He faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced.