NY doctor accused of plotting hit pleads not guilty, free on $2M bond
MINEOLA, N.Y. - The New York cardiologist accused of trying to have a fellow doctor harmed pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and other charges at his arraignment Wednesday. Dr. Anthony J. Moschetto left court after posting a $2 million bond. He is due back in court on April 17.
Moschetto's attorney, Randy Zelin, said the alleged victim - identified in court as Martin Handler - was Moschetto's former partner. Two orders of protection were issued - one for Handler and one for his wife - that bar Moschetto from contacting them, a prosecutor said.
Outside the courthouse, Zelin said his client would be "defending himself vigorously." He declined to specify the nature of the dispute, but said it stemmed from what he described as a "business divorce" between Moschetto and Handler.
The investigation into Moschetto started with the purchase of Oxycodone pills, heroin and two fully loaded assault weapons. Prosecutors said Moschetto had paid an undercover police officer $500 to perform a hit before getting arrested. He was caught on undercover video discussing the alleged plot.
Before allegedly attempting to hire the hit men, prosecutors accuse Moschetto of hiring two men to set fire to Handler's office; it happened beneath a sprinkler and damage was minimal, prosecutors said.
"He was willing to pay $5,000 to have him beaten and put in the hospital for a couple of months and pay $20,000 to have him killed," Nassau County Assistant District Attorney Anne Donnelly said of Moschetto's intentions. "He wanted to put him out of business so he could get his business."
Acting District Attorney Madeline Singas said "luckily for this victim," Moschetto was stopped.
Investigators who went to Moschetto's home in Sands Point on Long Island's Gold Coast - one of the nation's wealthiest areas - found a weapons cache in a secret room that was accessed through a motorized bookshelf, they said. The weapons, which included dozens of knives, guns and a hand grenade, were displayed at a news conference Wednesday. Possible charges for the stash have not yet been announced.
Two other defendants - James Chmela, 44, and James Kalamaras, 41, - are charged in the case, accused of their involvement in the office fire, which occurred before the undercover investigation began. They, along with Moschetto, were arrested Tuesday.