Narcotic-selling nurse practitioner arrested and accused
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, a nurse practitioner from Lockport was arrested and charged for reportedly selling oxymorphone while on duty at a medical group practice.
Michael Ostolski, a 55-year-old resident of North Tonawanda, has been taken into custody based on a criminal complaint filed against him. The charges against him include conspiracy to distribute oxymorphone. According to the authorities, Ostolski, who worked as a nurse practitioner at Acacia Family Health in Lockport, was authorized to prescribe and dispense controlled substances.
According to reports, Ostolski is accused of prescribing excessive amounts of oxymorphone dosage units to patients who agreed to sell the pills for financial gain.
Authorities report that Ostolski allegedly demanded his patients to give him a share of their sale profits during their subsequent office visit. In addition, they discovered that the medical establishment was charging insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, for these visits.
According to reports, the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement has revealed that during the period of August 2021 to September 2023, Ostolski is alleged to have prescribed around 123 controlled substance prescriptions, consisting of a total of 13,000 oxymorphone pills to his “co-conspirator patients”.
Authorities conducted various controlled purchases of oxymorphone from Ostolski and also observed that he received cash payments during multiple office visits, as part of their investigation.
The charge against Olstoski carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.
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