It seems like the residents of Staten Island have found an easy way of legally getting their supplies of performance enhancing drugs– to go to Dr. Richard Lucente of the New York Anti-Aging and Wellness Center. Dr. Lucente is a 30-year old family physician who just happens to prescribe steroids and human growth hormones to his patients even when they don’t have any medical reasons to be taking those drugs. Of the more than 200 customers that he had, most are bodybuilders and gym personnel.
From The New York Times:
Prosecutors said that Dr. Lucente, who also had a separate family practice on Staten Island, steered his clients to a Brooklyn pharmacy, Lowen’s, on Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, to get their prescriptions filled. From 2005 to 2007, Dr. Lucente received nearly $30,000 in kickbacks from the pharmacy, the indictment said. The pharmacy’s owner, John Rossi, committed suicide last year while the investigation into the steroids ring unfolded.
Dr. Lucente pleaded not guilty at a brief arraignment on Tuesday afternoon and was released on $20,000 bail. His lawyer, John Meringolo, called the charges “trumped up” and said his client would be vindicated at trial.
Lowen’s Pharmacy was also charged although defense lawyer Richard Signorelli said that the company pleaded not guilty. Just last year, several police officers had been found to be buying steroids from Lowen’s. This eventually led to more drugs to be tested for in and when entering the Police Academy. The popularity of Dr. Lucente’s prescriptions came from word of mouth. Two years ago, it had reached a body builder who had a heart transplant and eventually died from the steroids that Dr. Lucente had prescribed him.
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
