Doctor Faces Jail, 7 Others In Statewide NJ Opioid Drug Ring

Two people involved in a statewide opioid ring now face jail after a New Jersey doctor pleaded guilty as part of "Operation Busted Script," according to the Office of Attorney General. Six others could get probation.

George Beecher, 77, of New Providence pleaded guilty to charges that he supplied a drug ring with tens of thousands of high-dose pills of the highly addictive opioid painkiller oxycodone, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced Thursday.

Beecher pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon to second-degree charges of conspiracy and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance (oxycodone) before Superior Court Judge Benjamin S. Bucca Jr. in Middlesex County, according to an OAG release.

Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Beecher be sentenced to 10 years in state prison. He must enter a consent order to permanently surrender his medical license. Beecher is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 16.

The investigation revealed that, in order to supply the drug ring, Beecher wrote prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose for tens of thousands of 30 mg oxycodone pills in the names of people he never examined, treated, or even met, according to the release.

The charges stem from “Operation Busted Script" which targeted corrupt healthcare professionals and “pill mills.”

Eight members of the oxycodone distribution ring were indicted separately. Seven have pleaded guilty to second-degree charges of conspiracy and distribution of oxycodone. It wasn't immediately clear which seven pleaded guilty.

They include:

• Andrew Stoveken, 68, of Edison pleaded guilty on Aug. 21 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 22. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Stoveken be sentenced to seven years in state prison. Stoveken ran a hearing aid company and shared an office with Beecher. He acted as a middleman between Beecher and the drug ring.
• George Sara, 39, of Bordentown was sentenced to five years in state prison. Sara purchased oxycodone in bulk to distributes.

Other ring members who pleaded guilty were sentenced to drug court or face sentences of probation. Overall, eight people were indicted. They include: John J. Burnham of South Plainfield, Jared Burnham of South Plainfield, George Sara of Bordentown, Marlena Burnham of Piscataway, Donn Rush of Somerset, and Jamar Mayers of Green Brook.

“Doctors like Beecher who prescribe opioids for illegal distribution are at least as culpable as the drug dealers they supply, because they use their licenses not to heal, but to inflict incalculable harm,” said Grewal. “With so many users starting on the path to opioid addiction with prescription pain pills, we are determined to stop the doctors and pill mills supplying this deadly black market.”

OAG photo