Andrew Catalone, a 72-year-old former nurse practitioner from Youngsville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on April 9 to unlawfully possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them. The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz.
Catalone owned a medical practice with offices in Auburn and Fulton, New York. He regularly prescribed controlled substances but also collected unused drugs from patients—something he was not authorized by federal law to do—and then distributed some of those drugs as loose pills without prescriptions or proper documentation. Catalone failed to record these encounters in patient files or provide treatment rationales for dispensing the medications. He also did not consult New York State’s prescription monitoring program (I-Stop) as required by state law when distributing controlled substances.
On February 22, 2022, Catalone possessed about 32 grams of oxycodone that he had received from patients for whom he had previously written prescriptions. He stored this oxycodone at his Auburn office and intended to distribute it without legitimate medical purpose or professional justification.
Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Anthony Brindisi in Utica on August 18. If the court accepts the plea agreement between parties, Catalone will serve a term of imprisonment of 52 months followed by three years of supervised release.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Medical professionals are entrusted with ensuring that dangerous controlled substances, like oxycodone, are distributed in a safe and appropriate manner. Catalone abused that trust and put his patients and the public at risk. Now he will pay the price.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam said: “Health care professionals are not above the law and must be held to the highest standards, especially when dealing with controlled substances... His actions are no different from those of any drug trafficker.” HHS-OIG SAC Naomi Gruchacz added: “The defendant in this case... took advantage of his privileges as a medical provider and intentionally diverted controlled substances and ignored safeguards... HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect essential programs and hold accountable those whose actions could result in potential patient and community harm.”
The investigation was conducted by DEA’s Albany Diversion Group along with assistance from HHS-OIG, New York State Department of Health Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, and Auburn Police Department.
