A physician has been charged with offenses related to writing prescriptions for his former wife, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

Dr. Steven T. Puccio, 52, of 3981 Hunsicker Drive, Walnutport, was charged Sept. 30 with prescribing controlled substances outside of acceptable medical treatment principles, a felony.

He was also charged with failing to maintain required records and prescribing a controlled substance to a known drug dependent person, both misdemeanors.

In July, Brian Rimple, a narcotics agent for the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control, was put in contact with a person who claimed to have information about a doctor.

That individual, Rachel Puccio, is the former wife of the defendant.

The couple had been married from 2003-07.

Puccio allegedly began writing prescriptions for Rachel Puccio while they were married, first prescribing benzodiazepines, to which she became addicted.

Puccio allegedly wrote his wife prescriptions for oxycodone and for methadone, which is a Schedule II Controlled Substance.

He allegedly wrote 28 such prescriptions.

The issuance of these prescriptions for narcotics is alleged to have occurred between 2007 and 2014.

In the course of Rimple’s investigation, he contacted Rite Aid Corporation, Bechtel’s Pharmacy, Slatington, and St. Luke’s University Health Network in order to obtain records of prescriptions written for and filled by Rachel Puccio.

As a result of the investigation, it is alleged Steven Puccio wrote illegal prescriptions for Rachel Puccio.

He surrendered Sept. 30.

Puccio was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Patricia Engler, Allentown, and his bail was set at $50,000 unsecured.

He was released pending a preliminary hearing set for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 21.

Puccio voluntarily surrendered his medical license on July 25.