Valley Stream dentist traded opioids for sex, prosecutors say

A Valley Stream dentist has been arrested and charged with prescribing opioids such as oxycodone and Percocet to drug-addicted women who were not his patients in exchange for sex, federal authorities said Thursday.

Dr. Barry Arnold, 70, of Williston Park, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with 28 counts of distribution of controlled substances during his initial appearance before a judge Thursday afternoon in federal court in Central Islip.

U.S. Magistrate Judge James Wicks ordered Arnold released on a $200,000 bond to home detention with electronic monitoring. Arnold must also surrender his Drug Enforcement Administration registration for writing controlled substance prescriptions and stay away from his alleged victims and any witnesses, the judge ordered.

Additionally, the judge said Arnold can still work as a dentist, but is barred from performing oral surgery or administering nitrous oxide, a pain reliever, to patients. But he is allowed to continue administering Novocain.

Evan Sugar, Arnold's attorney, did not respond to messages seeking comment on the allegations Thursday.

Federal prosecutors allege that between October 2016 and August 2020, Arnold prescribed drugs to women who were not his dental patients and without any legitimate medical purpose. The sex acts, according to prosecutors, occurred after business hours at Arnold’s office in Valley Stream, at his previous office in Lynbrook and at his Williston Park apartment.

Arnold allegedly engaged in sex acts with multiple victims at the same time, according to prosecutors, and purchased and used crack cocaine with them. Arnold often had a supply of pills, usually Xanax, that he handed out to his victims, prosecutors said, because he often went with his victims to pharmacies when they filled the prescriptions and got pills as a "kick-back" for writing them.

Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement: "As alleged, Dr. Arnold abused his position as a dentist and preyed upon vulnerable, drug-addicted women, trading prescriptions for sex acts."

Federal prosecutors on Thursday pushed for Arnold to be held without bail in a detention letter to the judge, saying he consumed crack cocaine with his victims numerous times, and is a flight risk and a danger to the community. Additionally, prosecutors said, Arnold was uncooperative while his arrest was processed and refused to provide his thumbprint to law enforcement to unlock his iPhone. Prosecutors said they had a search warrant compelling Arnold to grant access to the phone.

Arnold, prosecutors said, also offered many of his victims nitrous oxide, referred to as "sweet air," which is used to sedate patients and provide pain relief in some medical procedures.

Arnold attempted to trade Percocet for sex as recently as Monday, prosecutors said in the detention letter, citing text messages they allege are between Arnold and a woman referred to as Jane Doe No. 5.

Arnold, according to prosecutors, asked the woman if she wanted to "hang out" and "party a bit" and told her he "might be able to give you a perc script," which prosecutors allege is a reference to the opioid Percocet.

Arnold then told Jane Doe #5 she could bring a friend "that likes to party," according to prosecutors.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.