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TRENTON
– Attorney General Stuart Rabner and
Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw
announced that a doctor pleaded guilty today
to writing thousands of fraudulent prescriptions
for a Newark-based narcotics ring that distributed
millions of dollars a year in illegal prescription
painkillers such as OxyContin.
According
to Paw, Dr. Mario Comesanas, 51, of Livingston,
pleaded guilty today to first-degree racketeering
and second-degree distribution of narcotics
before Superior Court Judge Michael Nelson
in Essex County.
Under
the plea agreement, Comesanas faces a state
prison sentence of 15 years and must forfeit
$600,000 in cash seized in his home as proceeds
of the fraudulent prescriptions. He must
permanently forfeit his license to practice
medicine in New Jersey.
“This
doctor turned his physician’s oath
on its head and used his medical license
to do harm through this dangerous narcotics
network,” said Attorney General Rabner.
“He became a drug dealer, and now
faces prison just like a drug dealer.”
Comesanas
was arrested on Jan. 26 along with the alleged
ringleader of the narcotics network, Mohamed
Hassanain, 40, of Edgar Road, West Orange.
During the plea hearing, Comesanas admitted
that he went to Hassanain’s home to
write thousands of fraudulent painkiller
prescriptions. Also arrested on Jan. 26
was a pharmacist, Ahmed F. “Felix”
Aly 32, of Union, Hassanain’s cousin,
who is charged with knowingly filling the
forged prescriptions.
Hassanain,
who sometimes uses the alias Mohamed Aly,
allegedly ran the ring from his business,
Lyons Avenue Auto Sales on Clinton Avenue
in Newark, as well as his home. Fifteen
other individuals have been arrested and
charged in connection with the ring.
The
charges against the alleged members of the
ring stem from a six-month investigation
led by the New Jersey State Police and the
Division of Criminal Justice, with assistance
from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
New Jersey Division. The investigation,
dubbed “Operation Pandora,”
determined that the network allegedly sold
20,000 to 30,000 OxyContin and Percocet
pills per week, with most going to a distribution
ring based in the Bronx, N.Y. The investigation
is ongoing and additional charges are expected.
Comesanas
admitted that he received up to several
hundred names a week from Hassanain and
his deputies, and was paid $100 per name
to write a “set” of prescriptions,
including 60 OxyContin pills, 90 Percocet
pills and vitamins. Vitamins were included
to make the prescriptions appear more legitimate.
Hassanain
and his deputies allegedly used numerous
“runners” to fill the prescriptions
at various pharmacies using fraudulent identifications.
It is alleged that the defendants also forged
identification documents and laundered money
to further their criminal activities.
Hassanain
is charged with being an organized crime
leader and money laundering. In addition,
Hassanain and the other defendants are charged
with racketeering, drug distribution and
forgery. Hassanain is charged with first-degree
racketeering and could face up to 20 years
in prison if convicted on that charge. All
of the defendants face second-degree charges,
which carry a sentence of up to 10 years
in prison.
On
Jan 26, authorities searched 10 locations,
including Hassanain’s home, his two
auto shops, Dr. Comesanas’ home and
RGN Pharmacy on Elizabeth Avenue in Newark,
which is owned by Ahmed Aly. At Hassanain’s
second auto shop on South 11th Street in
Newark, police seized a bag containing a
Tech 9 and five handguns, including .357-caliber
Magnums. The state filed notices of liens
for 14 pieces of real estate owned by Hassanain,
which are alleged to be the proceeds of
criminal activity and which the state is
seeking to have forfeited.
Attorney
General Rabner credited detectives in the
State Police Major Crimes Unit under the
direction of Superintendent Rick Fuentes
and investigators in the Division of Criminal
Justice - Organized Crime & Racketeering
Bureau for leading the investigation. Supervising
Deputy Attorney General Mark Eliades and
Deputy Attorney General Mark Ondris are
prosecuting the case for the Attorney General
and handled today’s plea hearing.
Attorney
General Rabner also credited the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration New Jersey Division,
under the direction of Special Agent in
Charge Gerard P. McAleer, the Essex County
Prosecutor’s Office, members of the
NY/NJ High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas
program, and the New York State Police for
assisting the investigation. He thanked
the New Jersey Department of Corrections,
Newark Police Department, West Orange Police
Department, Livingston Police Department,
Irvington Police Department Maplewood Police
Department, Union Township Police Department
and Essex County Sheriff’s Department
for assisting in the arrests and execution
of search warrants.
The
charges against the remaining defendants
are merely accusations and they are presumed
innocent until proven guilty. The investigation
will be presented to a state grand jury
for review and potential indictment.
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