NYC neurologist drugged, sexually abused patients over 15 years: prosecutors

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Ricardo Cruciani was arrested Wednesday morning and charged in connection with his sexual abuse of numerous pain management patients over the course of over 15 years.

The Indictment unsealed today alleges that from at least in or about 2002 up to and including at least in or about 2017, Cruciani “enticed and induced multiple victims to travel to his medical offices in New York, New York, Hopewell, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to subject them to unlawful sexual abuse.”

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Doctors like the defendant take an oath to do no harm. It is difficult to imagine conduct more anathema to that oath than exploiting patients’ vulnerability in order to sexually abuse them. As alleged, Ricardo Cruciani’s sexual abuse involved developing personal relationships with victims to engender trust, and prescribing addictive pain medication that caused his patients to become dependent on him as he engaged in a course of increasingly abusive conduct. The alleged pattern of abuse in this case is outrageous, and Cruciani now faces federal charges for it.”

According to the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

Cruciani was a pain management doctor who treated patients from multiple states who suffered from, among other things, severe and chronic pain. Between at least in or about 2001 and in or about 2014, Cruciani was employed by and affiliated with a prominent medical hospital and medical center located in New York, New York, and maintained medical offices in New York, New York. Between at least in or about 2013 and in or about 2016, Cruciani was a practicing pain management doctor employed by and affiliated with a prominent medical hospital and medical center located in Hopewell, New Jersey, and maintained medical offices in Hopewell, New Jersey. Between at least in or about 2016 and in or about 2017, Cruciani was a practicing pain management doctor employed by and affiliated with a prominent medical hospital and university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and maintained medical offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Over the course of at least approximately 15 years, between at least in or about 2002 and in or about 2017, Cruciani sexually abused numerous adult female patients who suffered from severe and chronic pain and were under his medical care as a pain management doctor. Cruciani exploited and leveraged his position of trust as a healthcare provider at prominent medical institutions, the significant pain suffered by the victims, and his ability to prescribe or withhold pain medication, including highly addictive opioids, so that he could sexually abuse his patients. In order for them to obtain prescription refills, Cruciani required victims to travel to his medical offices and other locations for in-person appointments. Cruciani enticed and induced victims to travel interstate at least in part for the purpose of subjecting them to unlawful sexual abuse.

His sexual abuse of victims involved developing personal relationships with victims to engender trust, and prescribing addictive pain medication that caused the victims to become dependent on Cruciani as he engaged in a course of increasingly abusive conduct.

The abusive sexual conduct included, among other things, ‘forcible kissing, touching victims’ breasts and genitals, oral sex acts, vaginal sexual intercourse, and attempted anal sexual intercourse.’

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Cruciani, 63, of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, is charged with five counts of enticing and inducing individuals to travel interstate to engage in illegal sexual activity, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by a judge.

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