New Castle News

Local News

Discussion

July 9, 2007

Pain doctor guilty on half of charges

By Debbie Wachter Morris

After deliberating almost 16 hours, a jury convicted Dr. William Mangino of nine felony charges yesterday afternoon.

When the jurors returned to the Lawrence County courtroom, they were polled individually about each of the nine guilty counts against the 64-year-old pain doctor from Philadelphia. Those included five violations of the state drug act, three violations of Medicaid fraud and one charge of conspiracy to violate the drug act.

Mangino originally was charged with 11 counts of violating the drug act, six counts of Medicaid fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit Medicaid fraud and one count of conspiracy to violate the drug act. He was acquitted of the remaining charges.

President Judge Dominick Motto doubled Mangino’s bond from $50,000 to $100,000. He had been free on bail for almost three years.

Mangino was the last of three doctors to be tried after being arrested with chiropractor Thomas Wilkins and pain doctor Phillip Wagman. They were accused of writing quantities of oxycodone for patients who had gone to their clinic for treatment.

People were known to stand in line outside the clinic in the mornings, waiting for prescriptions, and appointment books submitted as evidence showed the doctors often would see 100 patients a day.

An office manager had testified incentives were offered for bringing in as many patients a day as possible.

Wilkins and Wagman were convicted last year and are in state prisons.

Mangino, his shaggy, graying hair falling over the collar of his brown wool sport jacket, was handcuffed after the verdict was read. He is in the Lawrence County jail awaiting sentencing.

His friend, attorney Richard Michaelson of Philadelphia, was in court this week assisting defense attorney Thomas W. Leslie.

Michaelson said Mangino is unlikely to post bond, because “he’s a broken man.”

Mangino had no income after he gave up his license to write prescriptions as a bail condition, he said.

Leslie said he intends to appeal the verdict.

“It’s apparently a compromise,” Leslie said. “They split (the counts) in half, and they even left them in alphabetical order to do it.”

Michaelson speculated the jury may have had trouble agreeing and a split verdict was the result.

However, the jurors explained it differently.

Outside the courthouse, a group of them said deliberations were lengthy because of volumes of evidence and papers they had to review.

They received the case around noon Tuesday and deliberated until 10 p.m. They returned to court at 9 a.m. yesterday, were fed lunch again, then delivered a verdict three hours later.

They said there were no real disagreements during the process. Rather, they split the charges as guilty and not guilty because of differences they found in the medical records while reviewing them.

They determined Mangino had spent time at the clinic before he caught on to what was going on, they said.

“You can only guess, but the names on the (guilty) files were five of the six (patients) whom the defendant admitted to investigators did not medically need the narcotics,” commented Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Baxter, who prosecuted the case.

He credited senior supervisory agent Greg Smith for his thorough investigation.

“I’m certainly pleased with the verdict,” Baxter said. “These three fellows turned this town upside down with their irresponsible manner in which they were prescribing narcotics.”

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Local News
  • Mitchell.jpg Elected councilman contests disqualification

    A New Castle City Council candidate contends he should not be disqualified from holding office because he is seeking clemency.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • Ramsey.jpg Dave Ramsey: Proper insurance can transfer risk

    “Dave Says" is a weekly column featuring financial advice from nationally syndicated radio host Dave Ramsey. His column is filled with timely, relevant questions and answers taken from actual letters and calls on Ramsey's radio program, “The Dave Ramsey Show.”

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • City planning OKs school addition

     The New Castle Planning Commission has recommended a conditional use be granted for a school addition. The New Castle Area School District plans to construct an addition to the Harry W. Lockley Kindergarten Center and create an early learning center.

    February 3, 2012

  • money.jpg Mortgage rates trigger surge in buying, refinancing

    Some sectors of the economy may still be sluggish, but the housing market in Lawrence County isn’t one of them. Mortgage loans, both for refinancing and home purchases, are up significantly in the last several months in the county, according to local banks and real estate agents.

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • Brothers.jpg Lori Brothers: Organic is good, but it’s not always necessary

    How often do you have a great conversation with your produce man? I encourage it. I got quite an explanation about how organic veggies are handled. I also found out there are certain guidelines about where they can even be located to be sold as “organic.”

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • Mastrangelo.jpg Our Opinion, Part 2: Mayor’s hiring of his son raises more serious questions

    If you ask New Castle residents to identify the biggest problem in local government, one word will stand out:
    Nepotism. The term, of course, refers to the hiring of one’s relatives for positions, regardless of the fact others are equally — or more — deserving of available positions.

    February 1, 2012 1 Photo 1 Story

  • gavel.jpg Candidates make their pitch to council

    New Castle City Council interviewed nine candidates Tuesday night. The successful candidate will fill the pending vacancy created by the election in November of Gary Mitchell who has felony convictions on his record.

    February 1, 2012 1 Photo

  • Sansone.jpg Our Opinion: Why didn’t council keep Chief Tom Sansone?

    Last week, a majority on city council refused to confirm Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo’s appointment of Tom Sansone to continue as police chief. For the moment, the city has no police chief, and city residents are left to wonder why.

    January 31, 2012 4 Photos

  • Black.jpg Historical society to host slavery story program

    The Works Progress Administration was more than a simple New Deal agency that employed workers to carry out public works projects.

    January 31, 2012 1 Photo

  • Education task force to meet in Grove City

    The Midwestern Local Task Force Right to Education meeting will be Feb. 9. The group will meet from 10 a.m. to noon at Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV in Grove City.

    January 31, 2012