Doctor and Wife on 'Below Deck' Embroiled in Legal Scandal Over Alleged Prescription Drug Scheme
A doctor and his wife who appeared on 'Below Deck' were arrested in May and charged with eight counts of criminal sale of controlled substances and falsifying business records.
Dec. 14 2023, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
A couple that appeared as charter guests on the hit Bravo show Below Deck are accused of using the identities of cast members from the show in a scheme to obtain prescription drugs.
Dr. Francis Martinis, 55, a Long Island urologist, and his wife, Jessica, who were featured on only two singular episodes, are preparing for a court war after the alleged plot unraveled earlier this year, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Dr. Francis Martinis, 55, a Long Island urologist, and his wife, Jessica, are preparing for a court war after the alleged plot unraveled earlier this year.
Red flags were raised when Jessica was suspected of attempting to fill a fraudulent oxycodone prescription at a New York pharmacy this January, leading a pharmacist to call authorities.
An investigation soon revealed that Martinis had sent dozens of prescriptions for oxycodone to Suffolk County pharmacies over a two-year period, many of which were written under the names of two BD cast members.
It's unclear if the pair were allegedly using or selling.
Dr. Martinis and his wife were members of a group which chartered a luxury yacht Sirocco that set sail on the French Riviera in 2019. He also appeared on the spinoff Below Deck Sailing Yacht.
"He abused the celebrity position that he had on that ship to take the identities of his crew members — if that is proven — and then use that to buy drugs," said ex-New York Homeland Security Director Michael Balboni in a statement to NBC News. "That is a common scheme for a common criminal."
"Prosecutors will want to send a message to all other physicians — you have special access to these drugs, you know how they work and if you do this you will be prosecuted."
Red flags were raised when Jessica was suspected of attempting to fill a fraudulent oxycodone prescription at a New York pharmacy this January, leading a pharmacist to call authorities.
The couple appeared at court today in Riverhead, Long Island, months after being arrested in May and charged with eight counts of criminal sale of controlled substances and falsifying business records, for which they have both pleaded not guilty.
They went before a Supreme Court Justice who set bail conditions for supervised release. Martinis and his wife are due back in court in January.
"The conduct Dr. Martinis allegedly engaged in with his wife not only violated this oath, but it also violated the law," District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said.
Their attorney, Peter A. Crusco, fired back and told the New York Post they both "look forward to their day in court to clear their names."
He continued, "The evidence will show the charges are bogus and cannot be substantiated in the crucible of the courtroom."
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RadarOnline.com has reached out to Bravo for comment.
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