The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A psychiatrist and his assistant are facing criminal charges after a year-long investigation allegedly showed that they were taking part in illegal sales of narcotics for cash.
67-year-old Dr. Leon Valbrun resides in Long Island. He practices psychiatry in a New York City office, and 34-year-old Po Yu “Brian” Yen works as his assistant.
Last summer, after many people notified them about the situation, the authorities believed that the location of Valbrun’s office had become a common area for people searching for drugs to congregate.
When they opened an investigation, the authorities reported that they discovered online discussions implicating Valbrun’s office as a spot in which to obtain Xanax and Adderall for cash with no questions asked.
On January 11, as a part of their investigation, the New York Police Department arranged for undercover detectives to go to Valbrun’s office to see if they were able to obtain prescription drugs.
The first officer allegedly arrived for her visit and was treated by Yen.
The undercover agent reportedly told Yen she had an addiction to Xanax and she needed her medication. After handing over $300, she was allegedly given pills.
During some of the five total visits that the agent reportedly made to Valbrun’s office, she was sometimes treated by Valbrun, who allegedly upped the milligrams of the medication he prescribed more than once.
By reportedly feigning an opiates addiction, a second undercover agent was allegedly able to score a prescription for Xanax that was written in Valbrun’s name.
On November 23, Valbrun and Yen were taken into custody for the allegations.
Each of the men is expected to face charges for several counts of criminal sale of a prescription for a controlled substance.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a drug offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.