Firefighters douse blaze at Sands Point mansion owned by ex-doctor who plotted against competitor

A four-alarm fire on Monday damaged the Sands Point mansion of a former cardiologist on parole after serving prison time for a 2016 conviction on arson, weapon, drug and conspiracy charges following a plot that targeted a rival doctor.

About 125 firefighters answered a 9:56 a.m. alarm at an Arden Lane home, chasing a blaze that climbed inside walls of the nearly 8,000-square-foot residence for about half an hour before bringing it under control in a 90-minute operation without any injuries, authorities said later Monday.

The blaze's origin is still under investigation but the cause doesn’t appear to be suspicious, according to Kevin Lang, investigations division supervisor for the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Property records show Anthony Moschetto, 61, owns the home, but online real estate listings show a pending sales contract for the Colonial-style residence after an advertised price of $4.25 million.

Fire officials believe the blaze that brought 14 fire departments to the scene began in an electrical closet in the basement, the same part of the house where law enforcement officials previously said they uncovered a hidden arsenal of weapons behind a bookshelf that moved aside with the activation of a switch.

Following his 2015 arrest, Moschetto pleaded guilty in a plot that authorities said included a foiled scheme to burn down the Great Neck office of his former boss after a professional dispute between the two cardiologists.

Prosecutors said at the time of Moschetto's indictment that the conspiracy included a plan to have the rival physician assaulted or killed, but the Sands Point resident's later plea didn’t include charges related to the alleged murder-for-hire plot.

Authorities previously reported seizing nearly 100 weapons in the Arden Lane home, including a hand grenade and assault rifles with illegal high-capacity magazines.

Law enforcement officials said they uncovered Moschetto's plot in a joint investigation that began after agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration became suspicious when learning Moschetto was writing a large volume of oxycodone prescriptions.

At the time of Moschetto's arrest, law enforcement officials alleged he paid an undercover detective and a confidential informant with prescription pills, guns and money before the bust. State records show Moschetto served about 4 years in prison before his release in March and that his medical license remains revoked.

Authorities said Monday that occupants of the Arden Lane home were able to evacuate after the start of the fire, which triggered an alarm to the local police department. Authorities said a 911 call also came in which someone reported the home's generator was on fire.

Port Washington firefighters were first at the scene and faced with the challenge of finding the fire's location as smoke quickly filled the large home, according to department Chief Brian Waterson.

"Fortunately the crews did an excellent job," he added, saying they saved 90% of the dwelling from flames, but that the home also had smoke and water damage.

The fire spread from the basement through the home's walls to the first and second floors before crews contained it, according to Waterson.

Fire officials couldn't say if Moschetto was among those who evacuated. The homeowner couldn't be reached by cellphone or through his former attorney later Monday.