Riverhead P.A. charged in $1.8 million oxycodone drug ring released on bond

The Riverhead physician assistant accused of being the ring-leader in a $1.8 million oxycodone scheme with 20 dealers has been released on a bond that included the deed to his father’s waterfront home, following a hearing in federal court this morning.

Michael Troyan, a 37-year-old physician assistant with two urgent care clinics in Riverhead, is facing three felony charges under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act and, if convicted, as much as 20 years in federal prison.

Troyan issued phony prescriptions for the highly addictive controlled substance to approximately 20 people, who in turn had the prescriptions filled and sold more than 60,000 pills to others in a scheme spanning four years that netted an estimated cash haul of more than $1.8 million, prosecutors say. Troyan would split the cash proceeds with the dealers, according to prosecutors.

Assistant U.S. attorney Allen Bode had asked the court to detain Troyan without bail pending trial, arguing that he is a danger to the community and a flight risk.

“This is not a case of a healthcare professional looking the other way while patients deal drugs,” Bode said in court today. “He was acting as a drug dealer.”

Troyan’s father, retired Riverhead police officer Peter Troyan Sr., put up his waterfront home said to have an estimated value of $1 million, as collateral for his son’s release.

Magistrate Judge Gary Brown brought the defendant’s father to the bench to discuss his offer and the consequences he faces should his son do anything that would result in forfeiture.

“You understand you are signing over your house?” the judge asked.

“Yes,” the father replied.

“If your son doesn’t come to court, commits a crime, uses drugs — a number of things — I can guarantee you are going to lose your house,” the judge cautioned.

The defendant’s own home on Kerry Court was also posted as collateral.

Troyan surrendered his passport as well as the weapons in his home, which were turned in by his father: two handguns, two shotguns and two rifles. He is also travel-restricted pending trial or other conclusion of the case and cannot travel outside Long Island or NYC.

Troyan also agreed to surrender his DEA license, so he cannot issue prescriptions.

Citing the defendant’s strong ties to the community, his surrender of his DEA license and his father’s signing over his home to secure his son’s return to court, the judge agreed to his release.

Prosecutors say Troyan was captured on undercover video and audio in September and October discussing illegal sales with a co-conspirator, writing phony prescriptions and taking “large quantities” of cash in payment of money due him for past illegal sales.

In early October, the physician assistant even attempted to obtain an assault rifle in a trade with a co-conspirator who owed him $800 for writing the illegal prescriptions, Bode said today.

The investigation into Troyan’s activities began in 2011, according to the prosecutor, “following the complaint by a surgeon that a surgical patient had been caught intentionally reopening stitches with a pencil following a tonsillectomy because the patient was desperate for oxycodone, which this patient had become addicted to while being treated by Troyan,” Bode wrote in a Nov. 4 letter to the court requesting that Troyan be held without bail pending trial.

“The investigation then revealed that Troyan was conspiring with multiple persons posting as patients, issuing unlawful prescriptions for oxydcodone to his co-conspirators knowing they were reselling the pills and then splitting the cash profits,” Bode wrote.

Bode said today one of Troyan’s co-conspirators has been arrested since Troyan’s arrest Wednesday.

If convicted of the charges, Troyan faces up to 20 years in prison and forfeiture on of any assets identified by the court as proceeds of criminal activity.

The prosecutor and defense attorney Mark Musachio of Deer Park indicated today that they are engaged in plea negotiations.

About a half-dozen family members attended Troyan’s hearing today. His wife Marissa wept openly when Troyan was led into court this morning.

Troyan is next due back in court Nov. 19.

Editor’s note: This article has been amended to reflect a correction to the maximum sentence faced by the defendant if convicted of the charges, which had been misstated due to an editing error.