Southampton Councilman Bradley Bender pleads guilty to illegally distributing pain pills, resigns from office
A Southampton Town councilman resigned Tuesday shortly before pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to illegally distribute oxycodone pills.
Bradley Bender, 54, of Northampton, said he obtained the pills from a Riverhead physician assistant and resold some for cash and steroids to an unnamed co-conspirator.
The pills were then resold to other drug addicts and dealers, according to officials.
The scheme ran for three years from July 2012 to June 2015, according to court papers filed by Eastern District Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Bode.
After the proceedings in federal court in Central Islip, Bender said he hoped town residents "would give me a blessing in my recovery, and that they would expect to still see me as a participant in my community, which I am still dedicated to. But right now I need time for my recovery and for my family."
His attorney, Brian DeSesa of Bridgehampton, said his client "let his addiction get the better of him." Bender, the attorney said, "is remorseful for his actions. . . . He is sorry that he let down his constituents and the people of Southampton. Today, is the first day of his journey to recovery."
The oxycodone distribution scheme began with Bender and the co-conspirator obtaining phony prescriptions for oxycodone pills from Riverhead physician assistant Michael Troyan, according to officials. Bender obtained several thousand pills from Troyan, sources said.
Bender, an Independence Party member, acknowledged in court Tuesday he had an oxycodone habit and identified his supplier as Troyan, arrested on Nov. 4 by federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents on charges of conspiracy and illegally attempting to distribute and distributing oxycodone.
The investigation into Troyan, who pleaded not guilty, led to Bender, sources said. Nassau and Rockville Centre police also were involved in the case.
"Abuse of oxycodone on Long Island has reached epidemic proportions," said Robert Capers, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District. "Councilman Bender's actions in this oxycodone distribution conspiracy victimized the very community he was entrusted to represent. Today's guilty plea should serve as a reminder that no one is above the law, including those entrusted with passing our laws."
Deaths from oxycodone and related opioid painkillers exploded in the United States by nearly four times between 1999 and 2011, increasing from 4,263 in 1999 to almost 17,000 in 2011.
There were 137 opioid-related deaths in 2012 in Suffolk and 107 in 2013. The figures for Nassau were 56 in 2012 and 43 in 2013.
Bender was released on $100,000 bond by Magistrate Anne Shields. He could face up to 20 years in prison. He'll likely receive a sentence of 24 to 30 months under sentencing guidelines, prosecutor Bode said.
An attorney for Troyan could not be reached for comment.
Bender was one of four council members who, along with the town supervisor, make up the town board. Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst said of the Bender case: "We are shocked and taken aback and dismayed."
She said under town regulations, a special election will be held within 60 to 90 days to fill Bender's seat. She added that though there are now two Democrats and two Republicans, it is "a very professional board and we will work together" to serve the residents of Southampton.
Bender's community includes pockets of poverty at the western edge of the affluent town, and has struggled with drug-related crime.
Vince Taldone, who succeeded Bender as president of an area civic group, said he considered Bender an advocate for a community where residents sometimes feel forgotten.
"It's very sad," he said of Bender's arrest. "It's a tragedy."
Bender hurt a shoulder in recent years that required surgery and painkillers, Taldone said. "I feel badly because I imagine there is an element of addiction here that has driven him, like so many people to make really awful choices," he said.
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