12 NJ Doctors Ran Into Trouble This Year, Won't Be Around In 2019

At least 12 New Jersey doctors ran into trouble for a variety of offenses in 2018, so they won't be offering their services in 2019.

Many of those offenses seemed to be connected to the state's crackdown on opioid usage and prescribing, and a number of doctors offered drugs to their patients that, state officials say, put them at risk.

Here are the 12 doctors and the reasons provided by the Office of Attorney General that outline why their licenses were either suspended or revoked:

Eric Thomas

The State Board of Medical Examiners has permanently suspended the license of a Bergen County doctor for indiscriminately prescribing highly addictive opioid painkillers to patients for years, despite “clear signs” they were misusing the drugs or diverting them for illegal purposes, according to the OAG.

Eric Thomas, 44, who practiced internal medicine in North Arlington, allegedly prescribed large amounts of Oxycodone, OxyContin, morphine and other controlled dangerous substances without a legitimate medical purpose to seven patients he treated between January 2012 and May 2015.

Moishe Starkman

The State Board of Medical Examiners has permanently revoked the license of a Burlington County family physician who allegedly prescribed massive quantities of opioid pain pills to patients for years without a legitimate purpose, according to the OAG.

Moishe Starkman, who ran the Bordentown Family Practice PA., agreed to permanently cease practicing medicine in New Jersey in order to resolve allegations that he indiscriminately prescribed Fentanyl, Oxycodone and other controlled dangerous substances to five patients he treated between 2012 and 2017, including one who fatally overdosed two months after his last visit.

Starkman allegedly prescribed CDS to patients for a variety of medical conditions he diagnosed without performing physical exams or conducting diagnostic tests, according to an Administrative Complaint filed against him last August. He allegedly prescribed hundreds of opioid pills to patients each month, even to those who showed signs they may have been addicted to the drugs or were diverting them for illegal use, the state alleged.

Vivienne Matalon

The State Board of Medical Examiners has revoked the license of Vivienne Matalon, finding that the Cherry Hill family physician engaged in gross negligence and professional misconduct in indiscriminately prescribing the highly- restricted fentanyl spray “Subsys” to three patients who did not meet the federal criteria for receiving it, including one who died, according to the OAG.

Jose Leyson

Leyson, 72, of Long Valley, who owned and served as the medical director of a Newark medical clinic, pleaded guilty in federal court in January to writing illegal prescriptions for Oxycodone and conspiring to commit health care fraud. In June, Leyson was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution and a $15,000 fine.

In a consent order filed on June 11, Leyson agreed to the permanent revocation of his medical license and his NJ CDS Registration that allowed him to prescribe controlled substances in this state.

Kevin T. Custis

Custis, 51, of Bell Meade, who had offices in Asbury Park and Brooklyn, pleaded guilty in federal court in April to distributing anabolic steroids and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute, according to the OAG.

In an order filed on July 31, Custis agreed to the permanent revocation of his medical license and his NJ CDS registration.

William F. Mclay

Mclay, 74, of Cape May Court House allegedly engaged in the indiscriminate prescribing of Oxycodone, Xanax, Adderall, and other CDS to his patients without a medical purpose, according to the OAG.

The allegations against Mclay stem from an investigation conducted last February by the Division of Consumer Affairs’ Enforcement Bureau, which included an inspection of Mclay’s medical office and a review of his patient records and prescription profile histories.

In an order resolving the allegations, Mclay agreed to retire and surrender his license for permanent revocation. His NJ CDS Registration, which Mclay surrendered for temporary suspension last February, is permanently revoked, under the order which was filed on July 16.

Bonnie Chen

Chen, 54, of Fairfield, who was formally reprimanded in 2013 for failing to maintain consistent safe practices in prescribing injectable testosterone, human chorionic gonadotropin, and other medications, agreed to the permanent revocation of her medical license to settle new allegations related to her prescribing of hormone replacement medications, according to the OAG.

Under an order filed on July 12, Chen agreed to retire her license in a permanent revocation effective August 12.

Anthony Enrico

Enrico, Jr., 60, of North Haledon, a podiatrist who had offices in Paterson, Passaic, and Elizabeth, allegedly prescribed large quantities of painkillers to patients for years without any legitimate medical purpose, and prescribed other drugs to treat conditions unrelated to podiatry, according to a complaint filed against him last year.

Under the terms of an order filed on June 27, Enrico’s podiatric license is revoked and he is ineligible to obtain a license to practice podiatry in New Jersey for a period of five years. His NJ CDS Registration is permanently revoked.

Kenneth P. Sun

A Warren County doctor had his license revoked in September after he placed patients at risk by prescribing the tightly-restricted cancer pain medication “Subsys” to patients who did not meet the criteria for receiving it, and that he accepted more than $100,000 from the drug’s maker, Insys Therapeutics Inc., to push prescriptions of the powerful opioid painkiller, according to the OAG.

Sun, a pain management practitioner in Phillipsburg, was the latest New Jersey doctor to have his license revoked for allegedly ignoring explicit prescribing restrictions placed on Subsys, a potent under-the-tongue opioid spray approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

Robert J. Dragert

A New Jersey doctor who indiscriminately prescribed highly-addictive opioids without a legitimate medical purpose had his licenses suspended this fall, according to the OAG.

Robert J. Dragert, a psychiatrist employed by Princeton House Behavioral Health in Princeton, was suspended from practice for two years and permanently barred from solo practice after he indiscriminately prescribed controlled dangerous substances without appropriate screening and/or medical justification, and without appropriately managing the opioid dependence of his patients.

Eddie Gamao

A Middlesex County doctor has been permanently barred from practicing medicine in New Jersey after records revealed that during a one-year period he prescribed patients more than 150,000 units of the powerful opioid painkiller OxyContin, exceeding recommended daily morphine levels in 80 percent of the prescriptions, according to the OAG.

Eddie Gamao, a general practitioner in Piscataway, agreed to the permanent revocation of his license after he indiscriminately prescribed highly addictive opioid painkillers, in excessive amounts and dosages, to his patients between February 2017 and February 2018.

George Beecher

A Somerset County doctor was sentenced to state prison in December for supplying a drug ring with tens of thousands of high-dose pills of the highly addictive opioid painkiller oxycodone.

George Beecher, 78, of New Providence, an ear, nose and throat specialist who formerly had a practice in Warren, was sentenced to 10 years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Benjamin S. Bucca Jr. in Middlesex County.

Over the state’s objection, Bucca allowed Beecher to remain free on bail while he pursues an appeal of his conviction. Beecher pleaded guilty on Sept. 19 to second-degree charges of conspiracy and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance (oxycodone). Beecher permanently surrendered his medical license as a result of the guilty plea.

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