Doctor Indicted for Long Beach Man's Overdose Death

Dr. William Conway was charged Friday with causing two patients, including a man from Long Beach, to overdose by overprescribing a painkiller, federal authorities said.  

A 69-year-old physician from Baldwin, Conway was charged with illegally distributing oxycondone and distribution of a controlled substance causing death in a superseding indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Central Islip.   

Prosecutors said Conway prescribed 450 oxycondone pills to Giovanni Manzella, 34, of Long Beach, within 48 hours of his overdoes death on April 23, 2011, and he wrote Christopher Basama, 29, of Hicksville a prescription for 180 oxycondone pills — all while he wrote more than 5,500 prescriptions for the drug from January 2009 to November 2011, including to non-patients and known addicts, according to Newsday.   

U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch said in a statement:  

"Sworn to do no harm, Conway allegedly turned his back on his patients' real needs and turned instead to the pursuit of easy money. The charges unsealed today reflect the tragic consequences of prescription drug trafficking and abuse."  
Conway has been held without bail since his arrest in June along with 98 other suspected drug traffickers. In July, Judge Leonard Wexler denield Conway bail, saying he was persuaded by federal prosecutors who argued that Conway prescribed painkillers despite surrendering his Drug Enforcement Administration registration in February and couldn’t be trusted to stop doling out pills. Federal prosecutor Sean Flynn said Conway, who pled not guilty, already confessed to improperly prescribing oxycodone to patients, according to Newsday.  

Richard Langone of Garden City, denied that his client committed any crime.