30 months in prison for prescribing more than 8,600 Oxycodone pills

A New Jersey cardiologist was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for unlawfully prescribing thousands of Oxycodone pills.

Raymond Catania, 60, of Warren, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with dispensing Oxycodone outside of the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Catania was a New Jersey physician specializing in cardiology and practicing in Watchung, New Jersey.

From January 2016 through March 2017, Catania issued prescriptions for thousands of Oxycodone pills to one of his patients, and he did so without a legitimate medical purpose and outside of the usual course of professional practice.

Catania also issued prescriptions for thousands of Oxycodone pills to that patient’s wife even though the wife was not his 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.

Catania prescribed more than 8,600 Oxycodone 30 mg pills.