A psychiatrist at NYU Langone Health faces 10 counts of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and felony counts for possession of methadone and possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
According to a news release from the Nassau County Police Department, officers observed Thomas Boes, 42, of New Hyde Park holding a glass pipe to his mouth while parked in the back of 900 Merchants Concourse in Westbury on Sunday afternoon.
Officers said upon searching Boes’ vehicle they found hundreds of pills, capsules and other drugs.
They then saw Boes try to conceal the glass pipe along with an orange pill bottle containing what is believed to be crystallized methamphetamine.
After the arrest, detectives said a search of the vehicle found multiple orange pill bottles with labels ripped off, including pills believed to be Xanax, methadone hydrochloride and more.
Boes was arraigned Monday in First District Court in Hempstead. His bail was set at $100,000 if paid by bond or $50,000 in cash.
His attorney, Thomas Liotti of Garden City, said he is hoping to have Boes released by Wednesday at the latest. He is on the calendar to appear in court that day.
Boes’ attorney said he thinks the charges were exaggerated to a certain extent. He said Boes was heavily affected by the death of his mother in August, which resulted in a drug relapse.
His mother, Joan Boes, was a deputy mayor and trustee in the Village of Westbury.
The psychiatrist has been taking methadone, a medication typically used to treat narcotic addiction, over the years to curb his habit, Liotti said.
He said there was no indication that Boes had any intent to distribute the drugs and it is simply a case of possession. Liotti said Boes does have the ability to prescribe medication to others and himself.
Boes specialized in neurology as well as psychiatry at NYU Langone Health, which has removed his biography page from its website.
According to Boes’ Linkedin profile, he works at three NYU-affiliated hospitals, including NYU Langone Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan, mostly providing neurological consultation services. He also conducts comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and employs various psychiatric treatments for patients.
In an emailed statement, NYU Langone said, “In view of the allegations made against Dr. Thomas Boes, he has been suspended without pay, and we will be following the legal proceedings.”
Liotti said he and Boes are hoping to get him into a rehabilitation program as soon as possible because he recognizes that he has a problem.
They are looking into programs that will get him stabilized and able to move forward in his life, Liotti said, ideally a six-month inpatient program.
