by Heather Landi | Mar 6, 2021
A New York physician is facing second-degree murder charges linked to his opioid prescription practices, according to Nassau County authorities.
George Blatti, M.D., 75, was arraigned March 4 before Judge Fran Ricigliano on five counts of murder in the second degree and 11 counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree, the Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a news release.
Blatti allegedly ignored repeated warnings and prescribed “massive” quantities of opioids and other drugs that killed five patients and endangered the lives of six others, according to authorities. The patient deaths occurred between 2016 and 2018.
Blatti allegedly continued to prescribe the drugs to patients despite “explicit, repeated, and increasingly dire warnings” from family members and insurers who flagged the overprescribing practices, according to the indictment.
If convicted of the top charge, Blatti faces a potential maximum of up to 25 years to life in prison.
