Westchester County Doctor Arrested For Allegedly Writing Illegal Painkiller Prescriptions
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New York cardiologist may have been illegally prescribing oxycodone and other painkillers for six years, according to a federal complaint.
The doctor, 64-year-old Rohan Wijetilaka of Manhattan, was arrested Wednesday night. His practice in Yonkers was raided Thursday by federal agents.
1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon With More On The Story
Podcast
Several of Wijetilaka's nurses and assistants stood outside his Yonkers office building Thursday visibly frustrated.
They did not want to be interviewed, but said they were extremely worried as to whether or not they still have jobs and were very surprised that their employer was arrested, 1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon.
Wijetilaka wrote prescriptions even after his license was suspended, the complaint says.
Yonkers Police had been hearing from people concerned about how frequently Wijetilaka prescribed painkillers for several years.
The doctor was brought to federal court in White Plains on a charge of distributing a controlled substance. He was released on a $200,000 bond and is due back in court Aug. 22.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration launched an investigation last year with an informant who said he paid the doctor cash and routinely got prescriptions for oxycodone for himself and girlfriend without even being examined.
Wijetilaka's license was revoked earlier this month, but according to the DEA, that didn't stop him from prescribing controlled substances.
A message left for his lawyer, William Wood, was not immediately returned.
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
