{"id":186192,"date":"2026-04-05T10:21:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T10:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/186192\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T10:21:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T10:21:08","slug":"family-of-late-espn-producer-maura-mandt-outraged-over-no-jail-time-plea-deal-for-nyc-shrink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/186192\/","title":{"rendered":"Family of late ESPN producer Maura Mandt outraged over no jail time plea deal for NYC shrink"},"content":{"rendered":"

Loved ones of the late ESPN producer Maura Mandt<\/a> this week condemned a plea deal offered to a Manhattan psychiatrist who illegally funneled thousands of oxycodone pills to the trailblazing executive before her unexpected death.<\/p>\n

At a Thursday proceeding in Manhattan Supreme Court, psychiatrist Marianne Gillow, 61, admitted she illegally filled prescriptions for one of Mandt\u2019s production company staffers in June and July of 2019, with the understanding that the addictive pills were for Mandt, a patient of hers who was disqualified from taking the opioid drug.<\/p>\n

Gillow could have faced up to seven years in prison had she been convicted of recklessly engaging in conduct that created a grave risk of death to Mandt and other charges she faced in a 43-count indictment, with the allegations spanning a yearslong period.<\/p>\n

Instead, Gillow received a conditional discharge and no jail time in exchange for her plea to two counts of criminal sale of a prescription for a controlled substance by a practitioner \u2014 meaning no jail time if she stays out of trouble for three years.<\/p>\n

Mandt, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning executive producer of the ESPY Awards, passed away from heart disease-related complications at her Manhattan home on Feb. 28, 2020, according to autopsy findings by the city Medical Examiner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand the legal system requires a high standard of proof. I understand the complexities that come with these cases. But from where we stand, the impact is not complex. It is permanent, and it is devastating. We are told this outcome reflects serious charges, but there is no incarceration,\u201d Mandt\u2019s younger brother, Michael Mandt, said in court.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor someone who abused that authority in this way, this punishment does not fit the crime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.Dr. Marianne Gillow appears in court during sentencing for two counts of felony sale of a prescription drug in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday. (Barry Williams \/ New York Daily News)<\/p>\n

Judge Jung Park also placed restrictions on what drugs Gillow can prescribe, including oxycodone and other controlled substances, and imposed a $5,000 fine.<\/p>\n

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan, whose office brought the case, said it had referred Gillow to the Office of Professional Medical Conduct, which could suspend or revoke her license.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe case has been litigated for years, and throughout that time Dr. Gillow has continued to practice,\u201d Brennan said in a statement to the Daily News. \u201cThis resolution was our most effective way of protecting public safety. The plea that we negotiated assures that she will not be able to prescribe potentially dangerous opioid medication and I hope it will speed up a review of her license to practice medicine.<\/p>\n

\u201dThe patient\u2019s family has lost a loved one. We understand their grief and disappointment with this outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandt\u2019s death sent shockwaves through the sports and entertainment industries<\/a> and led to a wave of tributes from some of America\u2019s most famous athletes.<\/p>\n

Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Peyton Manning was among the top donors to an NYU scholarship<\/a> created in her honor in May 2022, at the time describing her as a force \u201cwho left an indelible impact on so many.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MichaelMichael Mandt speaks to the media after Dr. Miaranne Gillow was sentenced for two counts of felony sale of a prescription drug in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams\/ New York Daily News)<\/p>\n

The prominent producer\u2019s untimely death and the events leading to it, which have not previously been reported, were laid bare at Thursday\u2019s proceedings.<\/p>\n

Assistant District Attorney Ann Heo, chief of the Prescription Drug Investigation Unit at the Office of Special Narcotics, said a six-year investigation found Gillow was fully aware that her patient couldn\u2019t safely take oxycodone.<\/p>\n

The complaint filed against Gillow after her arrest in the spring of 2024 details her funneling thousands upon thousands of oxycodone pills to Mandt between May 2018 and Feb. 25, 2020, three days before the executive\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

The Soho-based shrink texted Mandt about sending the prescriptions to a pharmacy near Union Square for pickup by her staffer, writing \u201cjust let me know\u201d to coordinate one prescription in March 2019, included in the complaint.<\/p>\n

Investigators found Gillow turned a blind eye to \u201cendless warning signs\u201d her patient was \u201cclearly\u201d experiencing addiction and worsening mental health issues.<\/p>\n

Michael Mandt, 54, traveled from California to attend Thursday\u2019s proceeding. In his victim impact statement, he told the court that his sister ended up in ever-greater peril after turning to Gillow during a painful period in her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe struggled. And like many people do, she sought help,\u201d he said. \u201cShe entered therapy. And as her brother, that gave me comfort \u2014 because I believed she was in the hands of someone trained to help her heal. Instead, she was placed in the hands of someone who did the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.Dr. Marianne Gillow appears in court during sentencing for two counts of felony sale of a prescription drug in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday. (Barry Williams \/ New York Daily News)<\/p>\n

At several points during Michael\u2019s courtroom remarks, Gillow was seen shaking her head in disagreement, even smiling.<\/p>\n

Her attorney, Wayne Gosnell, told the court that while Gillow accepted responsibility for illegally prescribing the medicine to Mandt\u2019s staffer, she would not take the blame for Mandt\u2019s death, saying she had \u201cfaithfully\u201d served her patients to her best ability over her 35-year career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe firmly believe if Ms. Mandt was available as a witness, she would be testifying for [Gillow], not against her,\u201d the attorney said.<\/p>\n

Gillow declined to make a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to, but I think I will not,\u201d she told the judge.<\/p>\n

The Manhattan psychiatrist has been quoted in various beauty magazine articles over the years talking about the psychological benefits of Botox and consulted on the film \u201cA Beautiful Mind.\u201d The criminal complaint said her board certification in addiction expired in 2008.<\/p>\n

\"MauraMaura Mandt and Odell Beckham Jr. attend the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. (Kevin Mazur\/VF19\/WireImage)<\/p>\n

After graduating from journalism school at the University of Detroit in the late 1980s, Mandt got her start in the industry at the newly established ESPN, starting out on a $14,000 salary and going on to become one of the most influential women in the male-dominated world of sports media, her brother said Thursday.<\/p>\n

The pioneering executive was driven by a passion to tell the stories of unsung heroes working to change the world for the better, he said. When the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage was to be\u00a0awarded to sexual abuse survivors<\/a> of Larry Nassar at the 2018 ESPYs, Mandt was adamant that 140 women harmed by the disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor be present on stage.<\/p>\n

After the hearing, Michael Mandt told The News that the family grappled with the decision to go public about the circumstances surrounding his sister\u2019s passing and the personal struggles she quietly battled behind the scenes of her success. He said they ultimately concluded Gillow, who had avoided a trial and prison time, should be publicly held to account.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are very few things in society, and especially in our country right now, that everyone can agree upon,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone can agree that when a therapist illegally prescribes excessively dangerous quantities of oxy to their patient, it\u2019s bad. It\u2019s very bad.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Loved ones of the late ESPN producer Maura Mandt this week condemned a plea deal offered to a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":186193,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[266,85,267,9,12,56,63,65,64],"class_list":{"0":"post-186192","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-city","8":"tag-crime-and-public-safety","9":"tag-latest-headlines","10":"tag-local-news","11":"tag-new-york","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-ny","14":"tag-nyc","15":"tag-nyc-headlines","16":"tag-nyc-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=186192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}