Alleged arsonist arrested in cardiologist’s murder-for-hire plot faces additional charge

Bill San Antonio

One of the men arrested last month as part of an alleged plot by a former Great Neck cardiologist to murder a rival specialist now faces an additional charge for his role in attempting to burn down a medical office where the two doctors once practiced.

James Kalamaras, 41, was arraigned Thursday on a felony charge of second-degree criminal mischief, which now accompanies felony counts of arson and burglary, county prosecutors said.

Nassau County Court Judge Philip Grella set Kalamaras’ bail at $500,000 bond or $350,000 in cash. He faces a maximum life sentence in prison.

“Thankfully no one was hurt as a result of the fire that this defendant is charged with setting as part of a plot started by one cardiologist against another,” acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a statement. “Mr. Kalamaras is alleged to have taken money to damage and destroy property, but thanks to the efforts of our joint investigation, this crime did not pay.”

Kalamaras and James Chmela, 43, have been accused of trying to burn down Heart Diagnostic Imaging in Great Neck in February on behalf of Anthony Moschetto, of Sands Point, who once worked at the practice and had allegedly become a rival of Dr. Martin Handler, who Moschetto tried to have killed.

Moschetto faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top charge of 2nd degree conspiracy. He has also been charged with felony counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, arson, burglary, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal sale of a firearm and criminal solicitation.

The three men were arrested in mid April. Following Moschetto’s arrest, investigators discovered a weapons cache of more than 100 illegal guns and various knives, swords, axes and a hand grenade in a secret room in his home that was controlled by a switch-activated bookshelf, prosecutors said. 

County prosecutors said they had been investigating a high frequency of Oxycodone prescriptions Moschetto had been writing when they discovered a link between the cardiologist and an unsolved arson plot in Great Neck in February.

As the deals progressed, prosecutors said, officers began purchasing weapons, and during a sale on Jan. 22, the seller requested dynamite needed to blow up a building. Weeks later, the seller said the dynamite was no longer needed because fire was set to the building instead.

Assistant Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly has said that the arson, thought to have occurred on or around Feb. 22, was extinguished quickly and with little to no damage to the building because it was set beneath the building’s sprinkler system. There were no people in the building at the time of the fire.

Donnelly said Kalamaras set the fire, while Chmela served as the getaway driver. 

Chmela, of Selden, faces up to 15 years if convicted of the top charge of felony second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He has also been charged with felony counts of arson, burglary and criminal sale of a firearm.

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