04/21/08 - Rubins purchased narcotics that he took and Rubins, as a doctor, knew exactly what he was doing when he injected himself.

Greenwich plastic surgeon overdosed, medical examiner confirms
Stamford Advocate, CT

By Zach Lowe

The Greenwich plastic surgeon found dead in his pool worker's Stamford apartment in February overdosed on a combination of heroin and cocaine, according to the state's medical examiners.

Police had long suspected that Ian Rubins, 46, who had a history of drug problems, died from overdosing on cocaine, heroin or both.

They have charged the pool worker, Leonard Bajramaj, 32, with first-degree manslaughter for allegedly failing to call 911 for nearly 13 hours while Rubins lay dying.

Rubins also had clogged arteries in his heart, the medical examiner found.

Bajramaj has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney has said he will seek a dismissal of the charges.

The attorney, Darnell Crosland, has said Bajramaj tried to revive Rubins throughout the day by shaking him, feeding him water and forcing him to drink coffee.

He said Bajramaj, an experienced drug user, thought Rubins passed out or was sleeping.

Crosland said Bajramaj called 911 as soon as he realized Rubins' life was in jeopardy.

But police said Bajramaj left his apartment on Debera Lane at least three times, including once to buy Timberland shoes with Rubins' credit card....

...A hospital employee spotted Rubins stealing a tube of the painkiller Fentanyl from a surgery patient and replacing it with a tube of saline solution, state health department records show.

Rubins admitted stealing the tube in an interview with the Greenwich Time, saying he was trying to relieve pain from back surgery he had a few days earlier.

He entered a rehabilitation program for painkillers in 1996 and entered another program two years ago, when a hospital staffer suspected he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol minutes before a surgery, state records show.

Police claim Rubins asked Bajramaj to acquire drugs for him last week. Rubins was in Stamford for a court date in an ongoing domestic violence case. He lived in a family home in Vermont after his wife initiated divorce proceedings.

Jodi Rubins owns the couple's home on Lake Avenue in Greenwich, court records show.

Bajramaj has a record in three states, police said. He was convicted of drug charges in New York and three domestic violence charges in Stamford.

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