Party yacht of arrested retired doctor was being used as ‘porn studio’
Scott Burke, 69, faces drug trafficking and weapons charges after arrest
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The yacht of a retired doctor who was arrested after police found guns, drugs and prostitutes aboard, was being used to film “pornographic films”, according to a police search warrant.
Scott Burke, 69, was arrested after a raid of his 82-foot vessel, the Jess Conn, by Nantucket Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The yacht was raided after a “wellness check” was performed on a woman on board on Tuesday morning, Harbormaster Sheila Lucey said.
The woman was evacuated from the yacht after she “did not feel safe”, according to previous reports, and was taken to a waiting ambulance.
An affidavit attached to the search warrant states that the woman allegedly told a male friend over FaceTime “they were doing drugs all weekend long and people on the boat had been making pornographic films”, reported The Nantucket Current newspaper.
The man reportedly told police he thought his friend overdosed because she told him she wanted to leave the boat before she passed out and the call was dropped.
He also told police ketamine, Adderall, ecstasy and cocaine were being used on board. Several prostitutes were also on the yacht, sources previously told The Current.
Mr Burke, a married father, told police the woman who overdosed had been working for him for only a few weeks and denied knowing that illegal drugs were on the yacht.
Two women on board also denied knowing about the illegal drugs, but one claimed she had a prescription for Adderall.
Around three grams of cocaine, 14 grams of ketamine, a .380 pistol, three 30-round 9mm magazines, and a 12-round magazine in a 9mm pistol were uncovered on board, according to the police report.
Multiple rounds of ammo were also found on the yacht’s bedroom floor, the report added.
Mr Burke allegedly admitted the firearms were his, telling police he had a license to carry. However, police said his license was for Florida and expired in September 2022, the Current reported.
Mr Burke, of Key Largo, Florida, faces drug trafficking and weapons charges and is set to be arraigned in Nantucket District Court on 11 September, reported The Current.
The 69-year-old is a retired physician who founded Denver Spine and Rehab, according to the newspaper.
He is now the CEO of Injury Finance LLC, a company “that offers personal injury victims lien access to our comprehensive network of medical providers.
Mr Burke’s lawyer has claimed the 69-year-old has terminal cancer.
His yacht reportedly arrived in Nantucket Harbor on 23 August after a journey from Newport, Rhode Island.
It was featured in PowerYachtBlog.com after it ran aground in Ocean Reef in the Florida Keys in May.
Nantucket Police Department say that Mr Burke was initially charged with two counts of possession of a firearm without a license.
After the search of the yacht, he was charged with additional drugs and firearm offences.
He pleaded not guilty to the drug and gun raps.