“Dr. Mangino did not start any of these people on opioids,” he continued. “I think he was following what he was taught in all of the (pain management) courses.”

Mangino, whom he had not met until yesterday, faces 11 charges of violating the state drug act, one count of conspiracy to violate the act, six counts of Medicaid fraud and one charge of conspiracy to commit Medicaid fraud.

He was accused — along with chiropractor Thomas Wilkins and pain management doctor Phillip Wagman — of running a “prescription mill” in their pain management clinic by prescribing large quantities of addictive narcotics including oxycodone.

Wagman and Wilkins were tried together last year and convicted. They are serving their sentences in state prisons.