Shelton doctor David Ciancimino waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to a controlled substance offense related to his illegal distribution of prescription medication.
Ciancimino, a Trumbull resident who is a sole practitioner focused on providing psychiatry and neurology/psychiatry treatments, was arrested in September on a federal criminal complaint charging him with health care fraud and controlled substances offenses related to the illegal distribution of prescription medication.
According to the charges brought against him, Ciancimino was under investigation since October 2000 for providing prescriptions for Adderall and Xanax in exchange for $200 in cash or Venmo payments, usually with little or no medical examination. Many of Ciancimino”™s patients used Medicaid to pay for the prescriptions.
Between July 2020 to September 2021, Ciancimino deposited approximately $356,000 in cash into his bank account.
Ciancimino was charged with making false statements relating to health care matters, health care fraud, and distribution of controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and not for legitimate medical purposes. He pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the scope of professional practice, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment 20 years.
As part of his plea, Ciancimino has agreed to forfeit $175,773.45; he surrendered his medical license last week.
Ciancimino is released on a $500,000 bond pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
Photo courtesy of Bridgeport Hospital.
