The Marietta doctor accused of writing hundreds of illegal drug prescriptions is facing nearly 45 years in prison after being indicted on 12 counts of drug trafficking by a Washington County Grand Jury.
The charges against Dr. Pedrito Galupo, 73, was one of 25 indictments handed down by the grand jury this week.
Galupo was arrested July 8 at his Harmar office at 119 Maple St., where officers say he had been selling prescriptions for $50 without examining patients.
"I could have indicted him for 100 counts," said Washington County Prosecutor Jim Schneider. "The 12 I picked were different days ranging from April 12 to June 17 on days where we actually sent undercover officers into the clinic. We sent law enforcement officers in with made-up names seeking drugs and evidently he wasn't doing any examination.... He wasn't doing anything other than taking $50 and writing a prescription."
Galupo, of 501 Fifth St., was indicted on seven fourth-degree felony counts, three second-degree felony counts and two third-degree felony counts of trafficking in drugs. The maximum sentences for the combined charges would be 44 1/2 years in prison, but some of the sentences would likely be served concurrently if Galupo is convicted.
The doctor, who has surrendered his medical license, may also face charges in Williams County in northwest Ohio, Schneider said. A search warrant was also executed at his former practice in Bryan.
"The state pharmacy board is still investigating that," he said. "We'll be meeting with them next week."
The Internal Revenue Service is also conducting an investigation of Galupo based on the information passed on from local investigators, Schneider said.
"He may be fully compliant with the IRS, but we did contact them," he said. "We would deliberately go in with three $20 bills and he would make change from his pocket and there was no record-keeping apparent."
Galupo's attorney, Rolf Baumgartel, said the man wasn't taking payments under the table. He was taking cash only because he wasn't yet set up to take insurance at his new office and wanted to be able to provide services to patients who otherwise might not be able to afford them, Baumgartel said.
The attorney also maintains that Galupo did examine all patients and also obtained their medical histories.
"This is a man obviously of means," he said. "He's not someone who at 73 is going to go into the drug business at $50 a pop. That's ludicrous. ... I'm very concerned that this is nothing more than a photo op for the sheriff's office."
Galupo, who is no longer in jail, is scheduled to be in court again at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 8.
