This guy "consumed heroin, methamphetamine and other drugs on a near-daily basis at [USC's] Keck School of Medicine campus and in other locations, and the physician supplied drugs to other people, including a teenager," according to reporting in the Los Angeles Times. The teenager was the 17-year-old younger brother of Sarah Warren, a woman Puliafito met on an escorting site and later referred to as his girlfriend.
Puliafito "earned more than $1 million a year at USC" and bought drugs regularly for a group of friends, including Sarah Warren. But this was a secret life of sorts. At fundraisers and galas for medical professionals, "When asked about his extracurricular pursuits, he mentioned his award-winning stamp collection and spending time with his wife, a Harvard classmate, and three adult children."
After Warren overdosed in a hotel room with Puliafito, she recovered in a hospital. "Police found methamphetamine in the hotel room, according to a police report, but made no arrests," the Times says. A week later, a "witness filed an anonymous complaint through a city website urging Pasadena authorities to investigate Puliafito and the police handling of the incident."
A few days later, that witness reportedly called USC's president. A week and a half later, Puliafito resigned. But "concerned that Pasadena police were not investigating," the witness then turned to the LA Times. Guess what happened when a reporter asked the police for their police report?
Initially, a department spokeswoman said there was no report, apart from a call-for-service log. After The Times made repeated requests for additional information, the department acknowledged that an officer at the scene should have prepared a report. The officer was ordered to do so in June 2016 — three months after the incident.
That witness also provided LA Times with photos and videos of Puliafito and friends using drugs in hotel rooms and at USC's campus.
"Over the course of 18 months, Puliafito also provided methamphetamine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and heroin" to Sarah Warren, according to the state of California. After she went to rehab, he allegedly "mailed her drugs, hidden in packets of Skittles candy. At one Malibu rehab center, he delivered methamphetamine to her camouflaged in a sunglasses case, she said."
It's also emerged that "the university had investigated separate complaints of sexual harassment against Puliafito," but USC would not provide details. "USC banned Puliafito from campus and university medical facilities in the wake of The Times report. He voluntarily surrendered his medical license last month."
The Keck School of Medicine has no relationship to Stranger publisher Tim Keck.
Two big lessons here: (1) Support local journalism, and (2) Don't do meth.
