What you should know
- A doctor who appeared on the hit Bravo reality show has been arrested on Long Island — accused of stealing the identities of the show's cast members to obtain prescription drugs, according to law enforcement sources.
- Dr. Francis Martinis – a urologist in Fort Salonga – and his wife Jessica, who both appeared on the hit Bravo reality show “Below Deck,” are accused of allegedly using other cast members' personal information to write fake prescriptions for oxycodone.
- Investigators said the plan was put into action earlier this year when Jessica went to a Kings Park pharmacy in January to fill a fake oxycodone prescription. According to those officials, the handwritten prescription caused concern and prompted a pharmacist to call the police.
A doctor who appeared on the hit Bravo reality show and his wife pleaded not guilty Thursday on Long Island to stealing the identities of cast members of the show to allegedly obtain prescription drugs, authorities said.
Dr. Francis Martinis – a urologist in Fort Salonga – and his wife Jessica, who both appeared on the hit Bravo reality show “Below Deck,” are accused of allegedly using other cast members' personal information to write fake prescriptions for oxycodone. Both are charged in an eight-count indictment with multiple felony counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance by a practitioner and falsifying business records.
The Martinis were released on their own recognizance after Thursday's hearing, with their attorney maintaining their innocence.
“The evidence will show that the allegations are false and cannot be substantiated,” said Peter Crusco, the couple's attorney.
Investigators said the plan was put into action earlier this year when Jessica went to a Kings Park pharmacy in January to fill a fake oxycodone prescription. According to those officials, the handwritten prescription caused concern and prompted a pharmacist to call the police.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the doctor had sent dozens of prescriptions for oxycodone to Suffolk County pharmacies over a two-year period, law enforcement officials said. Many of these recipes were allegedly fake – written under the names of two Below Deck actors.
Investigators said that as part of the alleged conspiracy, Jessica would pick up the prescriptions and pay for them in cash.
“Physicians are supposed to be trusted members of the community, and with that trust comes a tremendous amount of personal and professional responsibility,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. “Doctors are held to high standards because they take an oath to uphold a set of professional ethical standards when they begin their careers. The behavior that Dr. “Martini’s alleged behavior toward his wife violated not only that oath, but also the law.”
The duo was arrested in May and charged with eight counts of criminal sale of controlled substances and falsifying business records, law enforcement officials told NBC New York.
Investigators did not disclose whether they believed the couple used the drugs, resold them or both.
In court Thursday, prosecutors said Jessica told arresting officers, “It was all for us!” and both she and Francis allegedly said they had drug problems. He has no criminal record and has been working as a urologist for 25 years.
Former New York City Homeland Security Director Michael Balboni said the allegations were serious, especially given the ongoing national addiction and overdose crisis.
Balboni said: “He abused the prominence he held on this ship to assume the identities of his crew members – if proven – and then use them to buy drugs, which is a common plan of a common criminal.”
The couple were among the guests who chartered Sirocco, a luxury yacht that set sail on the French Riviera in 2019 and documented part of their journey for Below Deck Mediterranean. The following year, the doctor was a guest again, this time in another Below Deck spin-off, “Below Deck Sailing Yacht.” The series was about life on a 180-foot sailboat cruising the Ionian Sea.
After their appearances in the franchise, the doctor-wife duo attended promotional events with other crew members.
“The DEA is based on an all-hands-on-deck approach to save lives from illegal drug misuse and abuse through enforcement, education and prevention,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “We have identified two individuals who brazenly diverted controlled substances into the illicit drug market for medical purposes. These arrests are a reminder that diverting illicit drugs through a doctor can lead to irreparable harm like the drug overdoses and poisonings currently plaguing our country.”
Bravo did not respond to NBC New York's request for comment.
Balboni said: “Prosecutors will want to send a message to all other doctors: you have special access to these drugs, you know how they work, and if you do, you will be prosecuted.”
Bravo is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC New York and Telemundo 47.