Doctor Faces Charges Of Trading Drugs For Sex

TELFORD, Pa (CBS) -- Stacey Coffey's life still brings smiles to her mother.

"Stacey was a great kid," said her mother, Susan Landis. "Loved her very much."

But her death sparks a mixture of sadness and anger.

"We love Stacey and just want to see justice done," she added.

Landis's daughter died of a drug overdose in April, after prosecutors said she got a prescription for six addictive drugs from Doctor Harris Newman.

"He abused the doctor-patient relationship," said Landis, accustomed now to holding back tears.

Doctor Newman faces charges of giving drugs to addicts, Prescribing drugs in bad faith, and more. Prosecutors said he also traded drugs for sexual favors. Court records say a confidential informant would get prescriptions from Newman. Then "she estimated she had sexual intercourse with Newman in his offices a 'couple hundred times.'"

Dr. Newman's Family Practice Center in Telford was open on Thursday, and the doctor was in seeing patients.

"He's with patients right now," said one employee when Eyewitness News asked to speak with him.

"He told me to tell you he has nothing to say," she said a few minutes later.

Instead, his patients spoke for him, coming to his defense.

"I'm very happy. He's a good doctor," said Brunhilde Stanton. "I've never felt anything of what you're saying about it."

But nothing can sway Susan Landis.

"I can't comprehend it," she said, "because this is someone that she went to for care."

She said her oldest daughter told Dr. Newman to stop giving Stacey drugs. But Stacey got more the next day.

She died five days later.

Dr. Harris Newman is due back in court December 2.

Reported By: Oren Liebermann, CBS 3