In a high-stakes federal opioid prosecution, Yankwitt LLP secured a significantly reduced sentence for a longtime Larchmont physician, reinforcing the firm’s reputation for delivering exceptional outcomes in complex criminal matters. Led by partner Jason Swergold, a former co-chief of the Narcotics Division in the Southern District of New York, the firm’s Criminal Defense & Investigations Practice successfully navigated both plea negotiations and sentencing advocacy to protect the client from a much harsher prison term.
The physician, in his 70s, was arrested in June 2024 for allegedly distributing controlled substances in exchange for cash. The charges stemmed from a DEA investigation involving a patient turned confidential informant who had been caught selling pills and claimed she obtained them from the doctor. The federal complaint alleged that the informant made over 10 recorded visits, including some where she sought prescriptions for her father and a third person, who was an undercover agent.
Jason quickly investigated the informant’s claims and presented the government with evidence that cast doubt on her allegations. The prosecutors ultimately agreed to limit the charges to prescriptions written for the informant’s father and the undercover agent during a one-year period. At sentencing, Jason emphasized the doctor’s decades of service and the isolated nature of the conduct. Judge Cathy Seibel imposed a substantially below-guidelines sentence of one year and one day with no supervised release, which allows the client to be released within months under recent federal sentencing laws.
This case highlights the tremendous value Yankwitt LLP’s Criminal Defense & Investigations Practice can bring to our clients who benefit from being represented by an experienced former federal prosecutor who was co-chief of the Narcotics Division in the Southern District of New York.