Guilty of Using Stolen Prescription Pad to Obtain Oxycodone

Drug Dealer Chiropractor Not Allowed into Pretrial Intervention Program

The New Jersey Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI) "is a diversionary program through which certain offenders are able to avoid criminal prosecution by receiving early rehabilitative services expected to deter future criminal behavior." State v. Oguta, 468 N.J.Super. 100, 107 (App. Div. 2021) (quoting State v. Nwobu, 139 N.J. 236, 240 (1995)). Jason Mittleman appealed from an order denying his motion to compel his admission into the PTI program.

In State Of New Jersey v. Jason Mittleman, No. A-0925-20, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division (June 22, 2022) the Chiropractor appealed the refusal to allow him in the PTI program.

FACTS

Mittleman is a chiropractor. In 2017, he was working at the Denville Medical and Sports Rehabilitation Center where he stole another doctor's prescription pad. Over the next twenty-two months, Mittleman submitted false prescriptions to obtain thousands of oxycodone pills.

Mittleman's theft and fraud came to light in 2019. During the ensuing police investigation, Mittleman admitted he stole the prescription pad, fraudulently filled out numerous prescriptions, and used those prescriptions to obtain oxycodone.

Mittleman was indicted for third-degree obtaining oxycodone by fraud; third-degree insurance fraud; third-degree receiving stolen property; and fourth-degree tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

The PTI Program

Mittleman applied for admission into the PTI program. The Morris County Prosecutor's Office rejected his application and set forth the reasons for that decision. An assistant prosecutor reviewed the seventeen factors set forth in the PTI statute and found ten aggravating factors, considered several mitigating factors, but determined that Mittleman was not a suitable candidate for the PTI program.

A Law Division judge heard arguments on Mittleman’s motion motion, denied the motion, and set forth the reason for that decision on the record. That same day, the Law Division judge entered an order denying Mittleman's motion to compel his entry into the PTI program.

Guilty Plea

The following month, Mittleman pled guilty to third-degree insurance fraud. In accordance with the plea agreement, Mittleman was sentenced to one year probation with a condition that he surrender his chiropractic license during the probationary period. The other charges against Mittleman were dismissed.

Mittleman appealed from the order denying his motion to compel his entry into the PTI program. Mittleman’s arguments were rejected because they were not supported by the record.

DISCUSSION

Prosecutors are granted broad discretion to determine if any defendant, including Mittleman, should be diverted to PTI instead of being prosecuted. The scope of judicial review is severely limited by the statute.

To overturn a prosecutor's rejection, a defendant must clearly and convincingly establish that the prosecutor's decision constitutes a patent and gross abuse of discretion. A patent and gross abuse of discretion is a decision that has gone so wide of the mark sought to be accomplished by PTI that fundamental fairness and justice requires judicial intervention.

There is nothing in the record establishing that Mittleman had a lawful prescription for oxycodone. The material fact, which was undisputed, was that Mittleman fraudulently obtained oxycodone.

The prosecutor also considered Mittleman's use of the oxycodone. In that regard, the prosecutor noted that Mittleman claimed he had ceased using oxycodone voluntarily and, therefore, the State noted that there was no clear demonstration of an addiction that could be better treated through rehabilitative programs like PTI.

There is nothing in the record indicating that the State incorrectly believed that Mittleman provided oxycodone pills to his girlfriend. Instead, the prosecutor in his rejection letter noted that Mittleman admitted to using his former girlfriend's name on forged prescriptions so that he could obtain more prescriptions for himself. The prosecutor also pointed out that Mittleman admitted that sometimes he distributed the oxycodone pills to other individuals.

Records recovered during the criminal investigation showed that Mittleman received fraudulent prescriptions of oxycodone from April 2017 until February 2019. During that same period, he was treating patients. Accordingly, it is not pure speculation that Mittleman's unprescribed use of oxycodone could have placed his patients at risk.

The appellate court rejected Mittleman's arguments concerning factual errors by the prosecutor because those arguments were not supported by the record and affirmed the trial court's decision.

ZALMA OPINION

For a health care provider to steal a prescription pad and obtain for his personal use and distribution to others oxycodone illegally to seek admission to the PTI program would have allowed him to avoid his admitted criminal conduct. That he appealed the denial after being allowed to plead guilty to only one count and be sentenced only to probation was unconscionable. He should have been sentenced to prison for such egregious conduct and abuse of his profession.

(c) 2022 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.

Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE, now limits his practice to service as an insurance consultant specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud almost equally for insurers and policyholders. He practiced law in California for more than 44 years as an insurance coverage and claims handling lawyer and more than 54 years in the insurance business. He is available at http://www.zalma.com and [email protected].

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