The night before he was indicted this week, a Long Island dentist accused of exchanging painkillers for sexual favors sent text messages suggesting he’d give a woman a Percocet prescription if she wanted to ‘hang out’ and ‘party a bit,’ federal prosecutors said Thursday.
Barry Arnold, 70, of Williston Park, New York, was charged with 28 counts of distribution of controlled substances, accused of abusing his prescription privileges in a four-year scheme to supply women with oxycodone, Percocet and Xanax in exchange for sex acts.
Arnold, indicted Tuesday and arrested Wednesday, was arraigned Thursday afternoon at the federal Eastern District Court of New York, in Central Islip.
The defendant entered a plea of not guilty.
Prosecutors said Arnold was uncooperative with authorities during his arrest on Long Island, New York, at his office.
He refused to provide his thumbprint or unlock his iPhone despite a search warrant requiring him to provide data, federal prosecutors added.
Arnold, first licensed to practice in New York in 1975, remained listed Thursday as a registered dentist in the state’s licensing database.
His name did not appear in records of misconduct proceedings. He graduated from New York University’s school of medicine in 1974.
Prosecutors said Arnold doled out prescriptions to at least six different women on numerous occasions from October 2016 to August 2020, often meeting them after hours at his offices in Lynbrook and Valley Stream.
The women were not Arnold´s dental patients and the prescriptions were not for legitimate medical purposes, prosecutors said.
Long Island dentist is arrested for ‘giving out prescription oxycodone and Xanax in exchange for sex’ at his office (pictured) in Valley Stream, Long Island, during after hours
Dentist Dr.
Barry Arnold was arrested after prescribing over-the-counter drugs to at least six different women between October 2016 and August 2020
Arnold is accused of engaging in sex acts with women as payment for the drugs and on several occasions went with them to pharmacies to collect a kickback in the form of pills that he then handed out to women individually, prosecutors said.
Arnold also bought and used crack cocaine with some of the women, prosecutors said.
On Monday, Arnold exchanged text messages with someone he believed to be one of the women, asking if she wanted to ‘hang out’ and ‘party a bit’, and saying he ‘might be able to give you a perc script,’ prosecutors said.
He further texted that she could bring a friend ‘that likes to party,’ prosecutors added.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said Arnold’s alleged crimes are an abdication of his professional oath.
‘As alleged, Dr.
Arnold abused his position as a dentist and preyed upon vulnerable, drug-addicted women, trading prescriptions for sex acts,’ stated Acting U.S. Attorney Kasulis.
‘We are committed to vigorous prosecution of medical professionals who abdicate their Hippocratic Oath and contribute to the rise of drug abuse and addiction in our communities.’
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent-in-Charge Peter Fitzhugh said the dentist’s behavior is ‘really no different than a street dealer.’
A message seeking comment was left with Arnold´s lawyer, who remains unknown.
Arnold is released on a $200,000 bond on home detention while wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet on his ankle.
He also must surrender his DEA registration for writing controlled substance prescriptions.
Arnold still will be able to practice as a dentist, but cannot perform oral surgery or administer nitrous oxide.
He is allowed to administer Novocain to his patients, but he is ordered to stay away from witnesses and alleged victims.
The next court date is October 29 at the same court in the U.S.
Eastern District Court of New York.
