A Manhattan dentist accused of doing dental work for a drug dealer in exchange for methamphetamine and possessing a flash drive of videos of adult men having sex with children has been arrested, authorities said.
John Wolf, who has an office at 212 W. 15th St., was arrested Friday at his home after a lengthy investigation by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration that relied on recorded conversations between the dentist and an undercover agent. Prosecutors say Wolf, 59, gave a flash drive of videos of children “as young as toddlers being raped by adult men” to the undercover agent.
James J. Hunt, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York division, issued a statement saying the arrest of Dr. Wolf was the result of a “simple drug case.”
“Drug investigations have taken us down dark roads before, but nothing darker than the office practices of Dr. Wolf,” Hunt said.
Wolf’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, told The New York Times in an email that “the complaint alone … suggests real entrapment questions.”
One of Wolf’s former patients told The New York Post that he had known the dentist “for years” and that he was “a funny guy.”
“You don’t know what secret lives people have,” Robert Risko told the Post. “But he was a jovial, happy fellow, he didn’t seem lecherous, but I don’t know if that makes a difference.”
The Times also reported that the drug dealer was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport with 1,844 grams of methamphetamine. The dealer was said to be cooperating in the investigation into Wolf.
Wolf was scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon. He faces charges of conspiring to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession and distribution of child pornography.
