The leader of a Delaware County nonprofit is accused of using money from his organization to sexually prey on women who struggled with drug addiction.
Lawrence Arata is charged with 33 counts of trafficking in individuals, patronizing prostitutes, witness intimidation and obstruction of justice.
Arata, 65, of Villas, New Jersey, is the executive director of the Opioid Action Network (OCAN), a nonprofit based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, that provides financial support for the treatment and recovery of people suffering from addiction.
According to the nonprofit’s website, Arata and his wife founded the organization in January 2018 after their son died from a drug overdose.
Upper Darby Police first became aware of the allegations against Arata on Oct. 9, 2025. A former employee at OCAN told investigators that she witnessed Arata acting inappropriately with his clients. Arata allegedly tried to get the clients to stay with him at a hotel. The clients also accused Arata of kissing them, touching them and offering them money, according to the criminal complaint.
The former employee also said some of the clients left the program due to Arata’s alleged harassment.
According to investigators, Arata had considerable power and influence over the clients who received daily benefits from OCAN that helped them survive. The former employee told police Arata decided which clients received services, including gift cards and food cards.
The former employee said she then sent emails to Arata, calling his alleged behavior inappropriate and suggested that he step down as executive director.
Police then interviewed one of Arata’s alleged victims. The woman said she was recovering from drug addiction and was a client at OCAN. The woman accused Arata of coercing her into having sex with him in exchange for food cards, gift cards and cash on at least two occasions in 2024 and 2025.
Another former client also accused Arata of repeatedly trying to get her to meet him at a hotel, according to the criminal complaint. A therapist at a drug recovery and mental health hospital also told police she heard Arata on the phone telling the former client that he was sorry if he had said or done anything to make her feel uncomfortable, investigators said.
The therapist said Arata also tried to get her to meet him at a hotel and on one occasion tried to kiss her in his office, which she refused to do, according to the criminal complaint.
As the investigation continued, police seized Arata’s cellphone and laptop through a search warrant that was served on Oct. 29, 2025. Then on Nov. 1, Arata confronted the therapist at an event at OCAN’s headquarters, investigators said. Arata allegedly screamed at the therapist, accusing her of making false accusations and demanding that she recant her statement to police. The confrontation occurred in front of the therapist’s supervisor, according to the criminal complaint.
A fourth accuser then came forward. The woman told investigators that she had struggled with drug addiction from an early age and was a sex worker at one point in her life. She met Arata in Pennsylvania after being placed in a recovery house in Chester, investigators said. The woman told investigators she repeatedly had sex with Arata in exchange for gift cards and cash.
Investigators also interviewed one of OCAN’s former program directors who said she noticed Arata’s inappropriate behavior with clients. The program director said even before learning of Arata’s alleged harassment, she had an issue with him giving out gift cards to the clients, believing that it took away from them being used to help with their survival and instead turned it into bribes. The program director said Arata would get angry at her whenever she suggested other means of funding. She said he then fired her after further disagreements about how he ran the organization and dealt with clients, including him giving them long hugs rather than fist bumps.
Police also spoke with a woman who worked with Arata to open a recovery home for female veterans in Chester, Pennsylvania. The woman told investigators she was approached by a resident at the home who said she had sex with Arata in exchange for him paying her dental work and helping with her daughter’s rent.
Arata surrendered to police on Wednesday, Nov. 19. He was arraigned and then posted 10% of $500,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4, 2025. Online court records don’t list an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
While Arata is charged, investigators believe other victims are out there. If you were victimized by Arata or believe you know someone who was, contact the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office at 610-891-4161.
“People in recovery from opioid and other narcotic addictions need support which Delaware County seeks to prove utilizing the Opioid Settlement funds my Office and County Council obtained in order to help our residents. Our investigation concluded that Larry Arata cynically and cruelly misused those funds as leverage to satisfy his sexual desires,” Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said. “I want to thank the courageous women in recovery who fell victim to Mr. Arata, as well as those working to help others find their way into recovery, for having the courage to come forward and trust law enforcement to stop this predator. We heard you and we support you.”
What we know about OCAN
OCAN received $429,000 in opioid settlement funding and as of August 2025, the group spent most of it – more than $394,000. According to a report, they planned on spending the money on recovery stabilization for people with opioid use disorder. Among the uses include covering rent, food and transportation for clients, according to the document.
Delaware County also gave OCAN a second grant in December 2024 for an additional $650,000. The grant agreement shows the county plans to use opioid settlement funding to cover the money. That money hasn’t been brought before the state’s committee to determine if it’s an approved use of funding yet.
While the counties decide how they want to spend their money, they don’t have final say on whether or not it’s an approved use. The state’s governing body for approving the funding is known as the Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust. In November 2024, the Trust approved the money for OCAN.
“This matter does not involve the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust (“Trust”); therefore, the Trust has no comment,” a spokesperson for the Trust wrote to NBC10.
OCAN’s allocation and spending is the sixth highest in Delaware County, thus far. In total, Delaware County is getting $62.5 million over the 18-year period.
“The County went through the process it has used for all submissions for opioid funding. The proposals submitted through the RFP process are evaluated based on their merits and considered by the opioid task force,” a Delaware County spokesperson told NBC10.
The spokesperson also said the county’s Human Services team immediately contacted the District Attorney’s Office when they learned of the allegations against Arata.
“We were advised not to cancel their contracts or take any action while that investigation was conducted,” the spokesperson said. “We did—and do—take the allegations extremely seriously, which is why the County forwarded the information to law enforcement and then let them conduct their work.”
In May 2025, the NBC10 Investigators looked into the approval process for Pennsylvania’s opioid settlement funding.
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