A man from New Castle has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally prescribing and distributing oxycodone and fentanyl.
Dr. Thomas Ranieri, 66, practiced as an anesthesiologist and pain doctor in clinics in New Castle and in Ohio.
In 2013, prosecutors allege he prescribed and distributed Schedule II narcotics “outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose,” according to United State Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Scott W. Brady.
Ranieri will be sentenced in January. He could face up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both.