I traded pain Rx for sex: SI doc

A sleazy Staten Island doctor admitted Wednesday to using his practice as a pill mill, at which he solicited sexual favors from young patients in exchange for writing opioid prescriptions.

Joseph Santiamo, 65, copped to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone before New Jersey US District Judge Michael Shipp via a video hearing.

The dirty doctor ran a practice from 2012 to 2018 that focused on internal medicine and geriatric care with a side hustle as a pill mill — slinging narcotics prescriptions for no legitimate purpose in exchange for cash, according to a New Jersey federal complaint.

He took particular interest in his younger patients who were struggling with substance abuse, and prescribed them powerful narcotics in exchange for sexual favors, officials said.

“These patients were all under the age of 40 and wouldn’t normally be treated by a geriatric-care physician,” according to prosecutors.

“Many of these patients were dealing with pain and addiction, and instead of getting help from their doctor, they were drawn deeper into the cycle of drug abuse,” said New Jersey US Attorney Craig Carpenito in a statement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Santiamo (inset) in 2017 after learning that patients were traveling great distances to score powerful narcotics prescriptions and using multiple pharmacies to fill them, according to court papers.

“Santiamo wrote prescriptions for controlled substances in doses that far exceed what might be medically necessary for an ordinary patient,” the complaint states. Santiamo, who is free on $250,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced April 12, and faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, court records show.

“This defendant not only violated his oath to help people, he took advantage of them when they were most vulnerable for his own selfish needs,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Susan Gibson. “The only difference between him and a person who deals drugs on the street is the white lab coat he wears.”

Santiamo’s defense lawyer Joe Tacopina said his client had made mistakes but he is a good man.

“Dr. Santiamo’s lack of judgment was not motivated by greed,” the attorney said. “He accepted responsibility for his conduct, and that conduct doesn’t define who he is: a kind and caring man who devoted his life to improving the welfare of others.”