Dr. Dominic Riganotti and his assistant Jaquelin Fernandez were arrested on January 11 for allegedly supplying illegal prescription medication from Fernandez’s home and Riganotti’s medical office in Wilton Manors, Florida.
Riganotti, 50, faces charges of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute human growth hormone (HGH), unlawful distribution of HGH, possession of methamphetamine, and unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
Fernandez, 41, also faces the first two charges and an additional charge for using a minor in drug operations. Riganotti was ordered held in lieu of a $200,000 bond and Fernandez was held for $100,000. They have both bailed out of jail.
According to court records, Riganotti and Fernandez allegedly sold prescription medication to patients without giving medical examinations. DEA agents said some of the medication they sold reportedly seemed to have been prescribed to other patients—the patient information labels on the containers were torn off.
Federal agents began gathering evidence in September 2016 with the help of undercover patients who recorded their meetings with Riganotti and Fernandez to prove they sold prescription medication for money at the medical office and Fernandez’s home. Riganotti and his assistance allegedly confessed after they were arrested.
Riganotti is also accused of possession of methamphetamine. During a search of his office, the doctor purportedly told agents that he had hidden a plastic bag containing 20 grams of meth inside a wall socket. The drugs were found and seized. Riganotti’s most serious charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Fernandez has an additional charge for allegedly using her daughter, who is under 18, to deliver drugs to patients who went to her home. Both of her charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.