Below Deck Mediterranean charter guest Dr. Francis Martinis and his wife Jessica were arrested for allegedly impersonating Bravo cast members. The charter guest duo is known for appearing on Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht. They were part of Captain Sandy Yawn’s Below Deck yacht in 2019 and returned to the franchise the following year on Captain Glenn Shephard’s yacht. Dr. Martinis was surprisingly well-mannered during his two adventures on reality TV. He seemed like a decent guy and got to know many cast members, such as Adam Glick and Mila Kolomeitseva.
According to NBC New York, Dr. Martinis and his wife have gotten themselves into trouble by allegedly making bogus prescriptions under the names of fan-favorite Below Deck stars. If the charges are correct, the two used these prescriptions to acquire oxycodone, which is a highly addictive semisynthetic opioid used to treat pain.
The couple had allegedly been using this method to procure the drugs for months until they got caught by the authorities. The news outlet shockingly revealed that the former Below Deck charter guests got arrested in May after a concerned pharmacist called the authorities, alleging that their handwritten prescriptions under the names of Below Deck stars were fake.
Dr. Francis Martinis & Wife Jessica Claim “Charges Are Bogus”
Dr. Martinis, who works as a Urologist in Fort Salonga, and his alleged partner in crime, Jessica, have both pleaded not guilty. According to their attorney (via NBC New York), Peter Crusco, the couple has evidence proving “the charges are bogus and cannot be substantiated.” The authorities have also not shared why the Below Deck charter guests may have faked the prescriptions. It’s unknown if the couple intended to use the drugs themselves or acquired them to resell illegally. Michael Balboni, the former New York Homeland Security Director, shared, “Prosecutors will want to send a message to all other physicians–you have special access to these drugs, you know how they work and if you do this you will be prosecuted.”
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It is unfortunate to see how the events have unfolded. Charter guests can be a nuisance on the yacht, but this is one of those times when they have negatively affected the show’s image. Below Deck captains often try their best to take care of things and even kick out ill-mannered crew members and guests. However, sometimes it can be hard to judge someone’s intentions. Likely, Captain Sandy and Glenn never saw Dr. Martinis and Jessica as threats. Therefore, they allowed the pair to stay on the yacht. Dr. Martinis and Jessica even attended the network’s promotional events.
The case of Dr. Martinis and his wife shows that Bravo needs to tighten up background checks a bit more. The network and the show producers should be vigilant when inviting crew members and guests on board, as things can take a drastic turn at times. In Below Deck Mediterranean season 8, viewers may have seen another case of fake documents. Captain Sandy discovered that her bosun Ruan Irving had forged qualification documents to get the opportunity of his life. Fortunately, she found the issue just in time and kicked out the Below Deck cast member before anything bad happened.
Sources: NBC New York/YouTube, NBC New York
