A Missouri pediatrician has been accused of pressuring women to have sex in exchange for prescription pills.
Dr. Craig Spiegel, 67, is alleged to have illegally written 1,200 fake prescriptions to at least 25 patients from 2014 to 2022, many of whom he knew were drug addicts or had treated when they were minors.
In return, Spiegel, a husband and father, demanded cash or sexual favors, according to a Missouri lawsuit filed in federal court.
The complaint details manipulating women to perform oral sex and other favors in exchange for Xanax, Oxycodone and other drugs, sending explicit images, and being ‘inappropriate’ with at least one of his child patients during an investigation.
Dr. Spiegel has been accused of molesting one of his patients, a little girl. He has been a practicing pediatrician for about 30 years
Dr. Spiegel allegedly pressured women he had treated as children into sex in exchange for prescription drugs, including Xanax and opioids
If Dr Spiegel is convicted of illegal distribution of a controlled substance, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors wrote in a complaint in federal court that Dr. Speigel distributed ‘over 73,000 controlled substance pills’ to at least 25 people, though the complaint also said the number of people he illegally gave pills to is likely higher.
Adderall, oxycodone and Xanax were among the drugs Spiegel prescribed in exchange for sexual acts.
Women reported that he often blamed them for sex, to say things like ‘you owe me big time’ for handing out the scripts.
He instructed a woman to ‘(be) in fewer layers’ at an upcoming meeting. In another instance, he texted that he would send her prescriptions “assuming (she) would hold up (her) end.”
He is listed online as practicing medicine at SSM Health DePaul Hospital-St. Louis
Another woman claimed the doctor became violent with her while forcing her to perform oral sex on him in a public bathroom, though further details in court documents are not publicly available.
Another woman, identified only as CS in the complaint, was introduced to the doctor through a friend who promised he would fill any prescription in exchange for a ‘hand job’ while topless.
CS subsequently received prescriptions for painkillers and stimulants from Dr. Spiegel on several occasions throughout this event.
And one child said he was inappropriate with her during an exam, according to prosecutors, although further details were not made available.
According to court documents, he had a track record of dispensing the pills to patients he knew had addiction problems, including one called NL in the affidavit. She died of an overdose in 2022.
Later, prosecutors say, evidence showed he had been manipulating her for years, writing to her one day: ‘Surprise surprise. No pictures!!’
Later he added: ‘I think there’s no use getting upset. Our interaction is usually a one-way street. I do the things I promised. You promise a lot, but rarely follow through. I’m not sure why you’re wasting your breath promising anything.’
Spiegel has been a physician in the area for more than thirty years and holds an emeritus faculty position at the Washington University School of Medicine.
He is listed online as practicing medicine at SSM Health DePaul Hospital-St. Louis.
Even after NL died, he continued his illegal plan. According to prosecutors, Spiegel is ‘undaunted by any consequences of his actions’.
The charges, they say, are ‘extraordinarily serious’.
A federal judge will decide whether Spiegel can be allowed to remain free while his case progresses in court or whether he must be jailed immediately.
Prosecutors argue that letting him go free would pose a risk of him fleeing the state, and said there are ‘no conditions’ that he should be allowed to be released on parole.