A federal judge on Monday, March 2, 2026, ordered jail time and steep financial penalties for Dr. Roya Jafari-Hassad, the Great Neck physician convicted of illegally prescribing oxycodone in exchange for cash. Prosecutors say Jafari-Hassad turned her medical office into a pill mill, charging patients hundreds of dollars per monthly prescription while billing insurers for procedures that never happened. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced the sentence in a statement that credited the Drug Enforcement Administration and the HHS Office of Inspector General for their roles in the case.
Federal prosecutors highlighted the punishment the same day in a post on X that was shared with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the HHS Office of Inspector General, describing it as “a jail term and serious financial penalties” intended to deter other healthcare professionals. The announcement said investigators concluded that Jafari-Hassad had “used her medical practice to deal drugs” and exploited patients already battling opioid addiction.
Jafari-Hassad was found guilty by a federal jury in Central Islip in December 2024 on eight counts of prescribing oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose, according to a Justice Department release. The verdict followed a 10-day trial in which an undercover detective, over nine months and ten recorded visits, was repeatedly prescribed oxycodone, prosecutors said. According to the government, Jafari-Hassad typically charged about $350 for a 15-day supply and about $700 for a 30-day supply, turning each prescription into a lucrative cash transaction.
The case began with a 2022 indictment that alleged Jafari-Hassad collected cash for prescriptions while also billing insurance plans and later tried to influence patient testimony after a raid on her office. The Drug Enforcement Administration and HHS-OIG worked with the Eastern District of New York throughout the investigation and prosecution, stressing that prescribers who divert opioid pills only deepen local drug problems, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
What prosecutors told jurors
Prosecutors told jurors that Jafari-Hassad routinely prescribed oxycodone without any legitimate medical basis and converted those cash payments into sizable profits, according to the HHS Office of Inspector General. Trial evidence included tape-recorded office visits and records that, investigators said, showed billing for services that never occurred, the HHS Office of Inspector General reported.
Legal implications and next steps
The federal counts carry potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison per count and allow for fines and forfeiture of any criminal proceeds, the Justice Department noted after the verdict. Jafari-Hassad’s lawyer has said the defense intends to appeal, arguing that the undercover operation misled the doctor, according to trial coverage. The Justice Department and subsequent reporting confirm that an appeal is expected.
For Long Island residents, prosecutors say the case is a reminder that prescription-fraud schemes can quietly seed communities with dangerous pills even as public health work aims to reduce overdose deaths. We covered the jury verdict and local reaction when the conviction came down, including background on the trial for readers who want the full context.
