Hicksville man who posed as doctor is arraigned, authorities say

A Hicksville man who posed as a doctor was arraigned Thursday on forgery charges after trying to fill phony prescriptions for painkillers, Nassau authorities said.

Adeel Riaz, 28, of 51 Lenox Ave., contacted several Rite Aid pharmacies between June 19 and Aug. 17 by faxing prescriptions under various patient names or calling in as a doctor with prescriptions for oxycodone, Xanax and meloxicam, the felony complaint said.

Riaz did not get any drugs, a police spokesman said, and was arrested Wednesday in front of his home after an investigation by the Bureau of Special Operations. His pants pocket held a forged prescription for 30 oxycodone pills, police said in court papers.

Police said he was driving a 2002 Toyota with a suspended license and was in violation of a court order to drive with an interlock device system.

Riaz was arraigned on three counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument, 11 counts of first-degree falsifying business records, 11 counts of first-degree criminal impersonation, three counts of second-degree identity theft, circumventing an interlock system and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. He was held on $94,000 bail.

Riaz was arrested on similar charges June 4 after getting drugs with phony prescriptions between last December and January, authorities said. That case is pending.

His attorney, Michael Alber of Commack, said he has not been given any phone records or proof of his client's involvement in the two cases: "I have yet to see any evidence linking him to this."

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