Doc-in-a-Box: Pain Clinic Owner, Two Docs Sentenced For Running Pill Mill Clinics

January 19, 2013

The owner of an Escambia County pain clinic and two doctors have been sentenced for their roles in operating illegal pill mill clinics in Pensacola and New Orleans.

Dennis M. Caroni, age 38 of Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo, age 61 of Bradenton, FL, and Dr. Joseph G. Pastorek, II, age 62 of Slidell, LA, were sentenced Friday by Chief U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers. Following a six week trial, all three defendants were charged and found guilty of conspiring to unlawfully distribute prescription pain killers. Caroni and DiLeo were also convicted of conspiring to unlawfully launder the proceeds of their prescription drug distribution violations.

As the owner and operator of Global pain management clinics in Pensacola and the New Orleans area between 2004 and 2008, Caroni was sentenced by Rodgers to 20 years in prison. DiLeo was sentenced to two years  imprisonment plus one additional year home confinement for his role as part-owner of one of the clinics and full-time prescribing physician. The other prescribing physician charged, Pastorek, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment plus one additional year home confinement.

This case was the result of a multi-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation named “Doc-in-a-Box” and the cooperative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of Florida.

Comments

2 Responses to “Doc-in-a-Box: Pain Clinic Owner, Two Docs Sentenced For Running Pill Mill Clinics”

  1. Jane on January 20th, 2013 5:24 am

    So the guys who perscribed the pills get off easier than the owner? I’m confused. Why didn’t they get stiffer sentences since they were the “hands on” doctors who wrote the perscriptions?

  2. mick on January 19th, 2013 2:28 pm

    This is just scratching the surface of this pill mill problem and all of those pillbillies out there abusing the medication by either taking it or getting the prescriptions and selling it to further fund their own addictions…I would rather live with the pain than to take the poison…

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News