ST. LOUIS — A Bridgeton pediatrician traded drug prescriptions for sex and cash with at least 25 women over nearly a decade, according to an indictment filed Thursday in federal court.
Dr. Craig Spiegel, 67, is accused of illegally filling more than 1,200 prescriptions without a valid medical reason and supplying more than 73,000 pills containing highly addictive drugs such as opioids and amphetamines. has been accused of.
According to the indictment, Spiegel owned and operated a clinic in Bridgeton where some people suffered from drug disorders or shared medications with others, including children. Even though he knew this, he issued a prescription.
“The weight of the evidence is simply overwhelming,” U.S. prosecutors said in a court filing.
Mr. Spiegel’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
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The indictment alleges that as children, Spiegel met many women who were illegally prescribing drugs to them. He also prescribed drugs in exchange for sex with a woman who later died of an overdose at age 40.
Another woman said Spiegel became violent when he forced her to perform oral sex on him in a public restroom, and the child claimed Spiegel acted inappropriately toward her during the exam. .
Various women reported that he coerced them into having sex, saying things like “you owed me a lot.”
In another example, a woman advised a friend that Spiegel would give her the prescription she wanted if she had sex.
Federal agents searched his clinic and questioned him about his actions.
However, Spiegel continued to illegally distribute drugs, the indictment states.
According to court records, Spiegel had not been seen at a pediatric clinic for about six months at the time of the indictment.
Mr. Spiegel has been charged with illegal drug distribution, which could carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors asked that Spiegel be held in custody throughout the court proceedings.
Prosecutors said if patients with Spiegel’s disease would like to contact federal investigators, they can call the Drug Enforcement Administration at 314-240-1026.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that has been used in clinical practice for decades and is often described as 50 times more potent than heroin.
