$360,000 bond set for accused pain clinic doctor charged with first-degree murder

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Bond was set at $360,000 today for Dr. Gerald Klein, one of 14 doctors prosecutors say were involved in the largest illegal pain clinic network in the country.

Circuit Judge Joseph Marx ordered that 77-year-old Klein surrender his passport, not practice medicine and remain on house arrest if he posts bond.

Klein is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Joey Bartolucci, 24, whose sudden death was profiled in The Palm Beach Post in November 2009. He was found within "close proximity" of a "massive dose of narcotics" that were prescribed by Klein, who was employed as a dispensing physican at the East Coast Pain Clinic, accordiong to a probable cause affidvit.

A 123-page federal indictment unsealed last week charges brothers Chris and Jeff George and 30 others with running a criminal enterprise funded not only by prescription drug dealing, but also by boiler-room telemarketing operations and an Internet steroids businesses.

In a separate, related case, state prosecutors are accusing the George brothers of second-degree murder in and Klein with first-degree murder in Bartolucci's death.