A gavel rests on a desk in this undated photo.
A New Jersey doctor who authorities said described himself as “Candy Man” and “El Chapo of Opioids” was sentenced Thursday to six years in prison for prescribing opioids without a legitimate medical purpose.
Robert Delagente, 48, of Oakland, will also have to serve three years of supervised release once he's freed from prison, according to federal prosecutors. He pleaded guilty in February 2020 to distribution of controlled dangerous substances, conspiracy to distribute them and falsifying medical records.
Authorities have said Delagente failed to monitor patients for addiction and ignored drug screening tests to determine whether certain patients were taking illicit drugs. They also said he allowed patients to decide the strength and dosage for the drugs, and provided dangerous drug combinations.
Patients often picked up prescriptions for painkillers at the front desk of Delagente’s Bergen County office.
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