Monmouth County Prescription Fraud Investigation Leads to 7 Arrests

Following an extensive investigation conducted by detectives from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office in coordination with officers from the Middletown and Hazlet Police Departments, a total of seven individuals have been arrested for allegedly participating in transactions involving fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions.

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni recently announced the arrests of 51-year-old Kenneth Lewandowski, 50-year-old Thomas Menendez, 40-year-old Robert Ruvolo, 55-year-old Paul Boschi, and 33-year-old William Coffey, all of whom are from Middletown, as well as 32-year-old Red Bank resident Arthur Deeken and 28-year-old Hazlet resident Donna Phillips.

These arrests resulted from a month-long investigation prompted by multiple reports, one of which came from a pharmacist who recognized a forged prescription in late November, and another from an unidentified doctor who filed a complaint with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

Lewandowski, a former doctor in Red Bank, and Menendez have been placed at the helm of the operation. They are accused of using the name of another physician to produce fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone, which were then sold to a host of individuals for between $300 and $400 each.

A search of Lewandowski’s home reportedly led to the seizure of fraudulent prescription blanks, patient medical records, and suspected cash proceeds from the aforementioned transactions. He has now been charged with a myriad of crimes including conspiracy, forgery, and medical malpractice.

Lewandowski is currently being held at the Monmouth County Jail in lieu of bail amounting to $140,000 and his medical license has been suspended indefinitely. Menendez has also been charged with conspiracy and forgery; his bail has been set at $30,000.

The remainder of the arrests involved alleged purchasers of the forged prescription blanks, each of whom have been charged with obtaining a controlled dangerous substance by fraud.

Of all of the defendants involved in this case, Lewandowski is clearly facing the most serious consequences, with significant prison time, multiple felony convictions, and the revocation of his medical license currently hanging in the balance.

For additional information pertaining to this matter, access the following article: Middletown doctor accused of leading ring selling fake drug prescriptions