Doctor facing drug charges was OKd to serve students

A doctor charged Wednesday with felony sale of prescription narcotics whose office is a block from Massapequa High School was on a short list of physicians cleared to serve students in the school district.

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Superintendent Charles Sulc said that in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 school years, Dr. Saji Francis was among a "third tier" of physicians to be used if the district's lead doctor or his backup were unavailable.

"However," Sulc said Thursday, "Dr. Francis never provided any services to the district during this time." Sulc was unable to say precisely how many doctors were in the reserve tier that included Francis, 49.

Cops nabbed the Melville resident for the alleged illegal sale of oxycodone, Vicodin and other opiates.

Francis pleaded not guilty and was released after posting $180,000 bond or $90,000 cash bail.

A Newsday reporter was turned away Thursday at the gate of Francis' upscale development, where property records indicate he paid $1.5 million for a home in 2005.

Nassau detectives initially identified Francis through information provided by a man in his mid-20s who told his mother he'd bought prescriptions from Francis, according to Det. Lt. Andrew Fal.

"As far as we know, there wasn't a stream of high school kids going there," Fal said.

MORE COVERAGE: Click here for our series, Heroin on Long Island