Windy with scattered thunderstorms during the evening…skies turning mostly cloudy after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%..
Windy with scattered thunderstorms during the evening…skies turning mostly cloudy after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Updated: March 7, 2022 @ 3:31 pm
Raymond Kraynak walks into the federal courthouse in Williamsport on Friday morning.
Raymond Kraynak walks into the federal courthouse in Williamsport on Friday morning.
WILLIAMSPORT — Raymond Kraynak’s sentencing was delayed on Friday but the former doctor who pleaded guilty to 12 felony counts of illegal distribution or dispensing of prescription drugs was immediately handcuffed and taken into custody by federal marshals.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann in federal court granted Kraynak’s request for a new counsel and will allow a hearing at a later date to be held on Kraynak’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea. However, Brann said Kraynak is now a flight risk and ordered him to be detained until sentencing is completed.
Brann said he heard nothing on Friday to convince him Kraynak has “any possible merit” in his claims. Kraynak’s actions are likely a “frivolous stall tactic” to keep the 65-year-old Mount Carmel man from spending the rest of his life in jail.
The timing of Kraynak’s motions — two days after the sentencing date was scheduled but nearly six months after he pleaded guilty — “is not coincidental,” said Brann.
Some of the reasons for the filing of this motion to withdraw are, according to the defense motion filed without an attorney, Kraynak is innocent, counsel was ineffective, new evidence has been found, Kraynak felt pressured into accepting the plea agreement, various constitutional issues occurred during the trial that were detrimental to the case and defense counsel failed to introduce exonerating evidence.
Although Kraynak has been free on $500,000 bail since he was first indicted in December 2017 and appeared for all court dates, Brann said Kraynak now posed a flight risk due to his filings.
Brann said if the motion to withdraw the guilty plea is denied, Kraynak will be sentenced immediately to 15 years in prison. He will be detained until sentencing or until he is granted a new trial.
Kraynak unexpectedly pleaded guilty in September to 12 felony counts of illegal distribution or dispensing of prescription drugs following 10 days of trial. The plea came the morning the defense was set to begin its case. In a filing Wednesday, Kraynak filed a motion to postpone the sentencing date. Kraynak on Feb. 18 submitted a letter to the court stating he wanted to withdraw his guilty.
Following the hearing, U.S. Attorney William Behe, the lead prosecutor, said Brann is a “meticulous and fair judge” who follows the law. Brann made the right choice in delaying sentencing and ordering a hearing, he said.
“He wants to make sure the defendant has the opportunity to have fresh eyes on this,” said Behe. “His actions were extremely appropriate. We don’t want this to get to the Court of Appeals and have them ask why these motions were not considered.”
Nevertheless, Behe said that Kraynak’s actions are “despicable,” especially considering the government presented its case over 10 days and the victims and their families “poured their hearts out” in federal testimony.
“This man has cut a large and long swath of misery through this community,” said Behe. “They thought it would end today. It just got postponed a little bit.”
Federal agents arrested the now-suspended doctor on Dec. 21, 2017. The indictment stated Kraynak allegedly prescribed more than six million opioids, such as Oxycontin, Vicodin and fentanyl, between May 2012 and July 2017, and was responsible for the deaths of five patients: Rosalie Carls, 43, of Frackville; Andrew R. Kelley, 48, of Mahanoy City; Debra F. Horan, 56, of Elysburg; Mary Anne Langton, 55, of Mount Carmel, and Catherine Schrantz, 35, of Hellertown.
The remainder of the charges — five felony counts of illegal distribution or dispensing resulting in death and two felony counts of maintaining drug-involved premises for his offices in Mount Carmel and Shamokin — were dropped. While Kraynak did not plead guilty to the illegal distribution or dispensing resulting in death, the former doctor acknowledged his prescribing practices resulted in the death of his patients, according to the plea deal.
In addition to Carls, Kelley, Horan, Langton and Schrantz, seven other patients died: Donna Bynum, 36, of Mount Carmel; Wanda Ebright, 34, of Mount Carmel; Francis Gaughan, 47, of Lost Creek; Randy Wiest, 50, of Coal Township; Faith Herring, 42, of Atlas; Teresa Madonna, 49, of Schuylkill Haven; and Jessica Slaby, 38, of Coal Township. The government did not charge Kraynak in these seven deaths, but all 12 were listed in the indictment in relation to the illegal distribution charges.
Northumberland County Reporter
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