A doctor who appeared on the reality show Below Deck has allegedly been detained after being suspected of stealing the identities of his cast members.
Dr. Francis Martinis, 55, and his wife Jessica, 38, appeared as chartered guests on Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht in the reality series.
The TV pair is accused of impersonating their fellow Below Deck cast members in order to get prescription medicines.
In Suffolk County, New York, they were charged with illegal sale of a restricted narcotic and falsifying business documents.
Prosecutors investigating the matter have accused Dr. Martinis of electronically submitting a large number of oxycodone prescriptions under several aliases.
They claim that once the medications were ready, Mrs. Martinis would go to the pharmacy and pay for them in cash.
Prosecutors, however, allege that the prescriptions were not meant for the people whose names were linked with them, and that none of them resided on Long Island.
According to the District Attorney, the case came to light over a year ago when a chemist noticed a discrepancy in a prescription and notified the police.
‘Doctors are supposed to be trusted members of the community,’ Raymond Tierney said in a statement, adding: ‘Physicians are held to a high standard.’
He continued, criticising the couple: ‘They take an oath to uphold a number of professional ethical standards when they begin their careers.’
‘The conduct Dr. Martinis allegedly engaged in with his wife not only violated this oath, but it also violated the law,’ the official statement concluded.
Dr. Martinis and his wife are expected back in court in January, but their attorney has called the charges ‘bogus’ and added that his clients were ‘looking forward to clearing their names’.
Natalya Scudder, the star of Below Deck Mediterranean, returned to the show last month after pretending to leave just weeks earlier.
‘Surprise! I thought I’d come say hi,’ Natalya was seen saying in a trailer, just a few episodes after she packed her bags and left the boat behind.
Watch Below Deck on Amazon Prime Video.
Source My Celebrity Life.