MEDIA
Daniel Brandt, New Mexico Psychiatrist, Roughs up Patient
Daniel Brandt Las Cruces Sun-News (New Mexico) Las Cruces psychiatrist abused former patient, police say December 4, 2014 -- Excerpt A Las Cruces psychiatrist has been arrested after police say he abused a former patient. Daniel J. Brandt, 54, was charged with one count of abuse of a resident, a fourth-degree felony, according to a Las Cruces Police Department news release. Police allege Brandt grabbed the hoodie of a 28-year-old former patient, twisted it in his hand and escorted the intellectually disabled inside Campo Behavioral Health Services on Tuesday. Brand's hold was tight enough, according [...]
David Daley, Lehigh County psychiatrist, convicted
David Daley Lehighvalleylive.com Former Lehigh County psychiatrist convicted of running pill mill September 26, 2014 By Sarah Cassi -- Excerpt A former Lehigh County psychiatrist faces jail time after a jury found he repeatedly improperly prescribed medications to patients, some of whom are accused of being part of a prescription drug ring. Dr. David Daley's trial began Sept. 16 in Lehigh County Court on charges of helping patients fraudulently obtain prescription drugs and multiple counts of prescribing controlled substances outside of accepted medical principles. Daley formerly practiced at 7729 Main St. in Upper Macungie Township. Jurors began deliberating Thursday and [...]
Zahid Imran – Louisiana Psychiatrist Gets 7+ years in Prison
Zahid Imran Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, August 25, 2014 Louisiana Psychiatrist Sentenced to Serve More Than Seven Years in Prison for His Role in $258 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme A Louisiana psychiatrist was sentenced in federal court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, today to serve 86 months in prison for his role in a $258.5 million Medicare fraud scheme involving partial hospitalization psychiatric services. He was further ordered to pay $43.5 million in restitution and to forfeit all proceeds from the fraudulent scheme. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s [...]
Anil Ramachandran, Libertyville psychiatrist – “alleged cases of sexual assault”
Anil Ramachandran Chicago Sun-Times Sex assault allegations prompt suspension of doctor's license; State's attorney's office, Waukegan police review the case for criminal charges By Ruth Fuller July 4, 2014 -- Excerpt Prosecutors said they have not yet decided whether they will criminally charge a Libertyville psychiatrist who has been sued civilly for two alleged cases of sexual assault, one of which occurred in November and resulted in his DNA being found inside a woman’s body. Waukegan police and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office are investigating the complaints against Dr. Anil Ramachandran, whose license to practice medicine in Illinois was [...]
Alen Salerian, DC psychiatrist – unfit to stand trial
Alen Salerian Washingtonian Alen Salerian Declared Unfit to Stand Trial By Ariel Sabar April 8, 2014 -- Excerpt Alen Salerian, the psychiatrist whose downfall was chronicled in Washingtonian’s February issue (“The Spectacular Unraveling of Washington’s Favorite Shrink”), has been found unfit to stand trial. A federal judge in southwestern Virginia last Friday declared Salerian “mentally incompetent” to assist in his own defense and indefinitely postponed his trial on felony charges of distributing narcotic painkillers to people with no legitimate need for them. According to the judge’s ruling, Salerian’s own lawyers at Katten Muchin Rosenman concurred with a court-appointed forensic psychologist’s [...]
Ali Salim, Ohio Psychiatrist – Sentenced to 36 years
Ali Salim The Columbus Dispatch Doctor sentenced to 36 years for killing pregnant woman By Laura Arenschield December 20, 2013 -- Excerpt DELAWARE, Ohio — A doctor who admitted to killing a pregnant woman and her unborn daughter in the summer of 2012 was sentenced today to serve 36 years and 4 months in prison. Ali Salim, 44, pleaded guilty in October to killing 23-year-old Deanna Ballman after she answered a Craigslist ad he’d placed for a prostitute. Ballman was nine months pregnant at the time of her death. Her unborn daughter, whom she’d planned to name Mabel, also [...]
Abhishek Shah, Connecticut Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Abhishek Shah Hartford Courant (Connecticut) PSYCHIATRIST TAKES PLEA DEAL; DEAL RESULTS IN PROBATION; SEX ASSAULT CHARGES DROPPED; COURTS By Christine Dempsey December 3, 2013 A psychiatrist accused of sexually assaulting a woman in West Hartford a year ago was sentenced to probation Monday after he pleaded no contest to reduced charges. Abhishek Shah, 32, who was a second-year general psychiatry resident at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington at the time, was sentenced in Superior Court to two years of probation. He pleaded no contest to charges of third-degree assault and second-degree unlawful restraint, both misdemeanors, minutes [...]
David Israelstam, Wisconsin Psychiatrist, Sentenced
David Israelstam Dane County Sheriff's Office Wisconsin State Journal Former psychiatrist gets prison term for child porn By Ed Treleven November 1, 2013 -- Excerpt A former Madison psychiatrist who amassed a cache of child pornography at his home, his office and in his car, and admitted to sex with patients, was sentenced Thursday to 1½ years in prison. David M. Israelstam, 74, told Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke that he has had “a significant problem with sexual addiction that’s been with me for most of my adult life.” But he said his viewing of child pornography, [...]
Amar Nath Bhandary, Edmond psychiatrist, Sentenced
AMAR NATH BHANDARY PRESS RELEASE Oklahoma City Psychiatrist To Serve 30 Months In Federal Prison And Pay $20,000 Fine For Health Care Fraud Wednesday, October 30, 2013 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma –AMAR NATH BHANDARY, M.D., 53, from Edmond, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison by United States District Judge Joe Heaton for health care fraud, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. Following his release from prison, Judge Heaton ordered Dr. Bhandary to serve three years supervised release and pay a [...]
David Wilson, Utah Child Psychiatrist, Arrested and Fired
David Wilson Daily Mail Child psychiatrist arrested for having HUNDREDS of child porn images on his work computer By Daily Mail Reporter September 10, 2013 -- Excerpt A Utah child psychiatrist has been arrested and fired after officials say they found child pornography on his computer. The Weber County Sheriff's Office says 41-year-old David F. Wilson was arrested Friday and booked into jail on 15 counts of possessing and viewing child pornography. Officials say hundreds of child pornography images were found on Dr Wilson's computer at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, where he worked as a child psychiatrist until April. [...]
William Ayres, California psychiatrist, sentenced to eight years
William Ayres San Jose Mercury News Peninsula child psychiatrist William Ayres sentenced to eight years for molesting patients By Joshua Melvin August 27, 2013 -- EXCERPT REDWOOD CITY -- As one victim after another testified, calling William Ayres a monster and a serial child-abuser who robbed them of their innocence, the once-renowned child psychiatrist sat stoically Monday as a judge sentenced him to eight years in prison for molesting his former patients. Because of his age and health problems, it is likely a life sentence for the 81-year-old ex-doctor who pleaded no contest to eight felony counts of lewd [...]
Daryl Westerback, Thousand Oaks Psychiatrist, Arrested
Psychiatrist Daryl Westerback KTLA5 Local Doctor Accused of Treating Patients While on Drugs By Tony Kurzweil June 12, 2013 -- Excerpt THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (KTLA) — A Thousand Oaks doctor accused of treating patients while on drugs was also under investigation for at least one death related to his practice, police announced Tuesday. The allegations against Dr. Daryl Westerback, 55, were made following an investigation sparked when he was arrested June 5 on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, according to Thousand Oaks police. The investigation revealed Westerback had possibly been treating patients while under the [...]
William Ellien, prominent Savannah Psychiatrist, sentenced to prison
William Ellien Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Georgia FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, May 24, 2013 Savannah Doctor Sentenced To 30 Months In Pills For Sex Scheme SAVANNAH , GA: WILLIAM ELLIEN, 57, of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore, Jr., to 30 months in prison for exchanging prescriptions for highly addictive drugs in exchange for sex. Ellien was also sentenced to serve 3 years of supervised release upon his release from prison and ordered to surrender all of his medical licenses. According to the evidence presented [...]
Jackson Dempsey, Oregon Psychiatrist, Sabotaged Mountain Bike Trails
Jackson Dempsey The Associated Press Former Jackson County psychiatrist accused in bike trail sabotage expected to plead guilty April 30, 2013 --EXCERPT MEDFORD The Jackson County District Attorney's Office says Jackson Dempsey is due in court in Medford on Wednesday morning to change his not guilty pleas. Deputy District Attorney Alisa Ray says Dempsey has reached a plea agreement, but the charges and recommended sentence will not be disclosed until the hearing. Dempsey was a psychiatrist for Jackson County when he was arrested last July. He has since resigned. He was charged with assault and three counts of reckless [...]
Abdullahi Mohamed, Michigan Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Abdullahi Mohamed The Monroe Evening News (Michigan) Doctor sentenced in sexual assaults March 22, 2013 By Ray Kisonas -- Excerpt ...Dr. Abdullahi A. Mohamed, 58, will spend the next year in jail after he was sentenced by Monroe County Circuit Judge Michael A. Weipert. In addition to imprisonment, Judge Weipert sentenced Dr. Mohamed to five years of probation and ordered that he no longer can practice medicine. The defendant also must stay away from the victims. In January, Dr. Mohamed, whose license remains active through 2015 according to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, pleaded no contest [...]
Ghana’s chief psychiatrist: Homosexuality is a disorder
Ghana's chief psychiatrist Modern Ghana Chief Psychiatrist ready to 'heal' gays March 14, 2013 -- Excerpt Dr. Akwasi Osei, Ghana's chief psychiatrist has described homosexuals as persons suffering from 'a psychological illness requiring treatment'. This statement was contained in his article featured in the Daily Graphic titled 'why the scientific community is wrong on homosexuality.' The article catalogs arguments of what he believes is "woefully wrong scientific evidence backing homosexuality". He explains that more than ever, the scientific community is facing stronger political pressure to scientifically certify homosexuality as a normal lifestyle ever since the American Psychiatric Association (APA) bowed [...]
Mysterious Vermont Top Prescriber Faces Prescription Investigation
Burlington Free Press Vermont doctor faces prescription investigation By Sam Hemingway May 6, 2012 A doctor identified by the Department of Vermont Health Access as one of the top Medicaid prescribers of narcotic and other federally regulated medications in the state is under investigation by the Medical Practice Board for excessive prescribing of some of the drugs. “We looked at specific prescribing practices and identified something that was far enough outside the norm that we felt it warranted further investigation,” Mark Larson, the department commissioner, said last week. The decision to refer the doctor to the board for investigation was [...]
Michael Applebaum, Nampa Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Michael Applebaum The Idaho Statesman (Boise) Nampa doctor sentenced for Medicaid fraud November 22, 2011 -- Excerpt Michael Applebaum, a former licensed psychiatrist in Nampa, has been sentenced to two to five years in prison for Medicaid provider fraud and obstruction of an investigation. A jury convicted Applebaum in August of two counts each of provider fraud and obstructing an investigation... The jury said Applebaum altered documents before giving them to investigators for the Idaho attorney general's office and told the investigators that certain records were out of the office for dictation...
Vladimir Rajkovic, Zimbabwe psychiatrist, arrested
Vladimir Rajkovic NewsDay ‘Psychiatrist wanted woman to have sex with dog’ By The NewsDay June 30, 2011 -- Excerpt A psychiatric doctor, Vladimir Rajkovic, may well require mental examination himself after he was hauled before the courts for allegedly inserting an artificial manhood into a woman’s private parts before trying to force her into bestiality. He also allegedly took pictures of the woman in the nude before threatening her with a gun after she refused to engage in the act. The incident which is likely to shock some ladies of the night is said to have occurred on June 7 [...]
Sohail Punjwani, Broward County psychiatrist, arrested – cocaine
Sohail Punjwani The Miami Herald Boy’s county psychiatrist has other issues; Child welfare | Gabriel Myers’ psychiatrist April 23, 2011 By Carol Marbin Miller and Diana Moskovitz -- Excerpt In the two years since the death of Gabriel Myers, the boy’s Broward County psychiatrist, whose prescribing practices drew the ire of state regulators and children’s advocates, has found himself in ever-deeper hot water. On July 18 of last year, Sohail Punjwani was arrested by Miami Beach police officers for driving under the influence and cocaine possession. In August, Punjwani entered into a pretrial diversion program and will not be [...]
Kimberly Hammes Frank, Mequon psychiatrist, charged
Kimberly Hammes Frank Journal Sentinel Mequon psychiatrist charged with child abduction attempt in Florida April 08, 2011 By Bruce Vielmetti -- Excerpt A Mequon psychiatrist has been arrested in Florida on charges of child abuse after sheriff's officials there say she tried to abduct two children from a beach north of Naples. Kimberly Hammes Frank, 47, was arrested Wednesday, according to Collier County Sheriff's Office records. A sheriff's spokeswoman said Frank was later released on $30,000 bond. She is scheduled for arraignment on the charge of child abuse without great harm, a felony, on May 2. An arrest report [...]
Richard Adamson, Seattle Psychiatrist, accused of sex with 2 patients
Richard Adamson Seattlepi.com Woman sues Seattle psychiatrist accused of sex with patients By Vanessa Ho April 7, 2011 -- Excerpt A Seattle psychiatrist accused by the state of having sex with two patients has been sued by one of his patients, who said his actions caused her "severe psychological and emotional injury." Last week, the state's Medical Quality Assurance Commission suspended the license of Richard T. Adamson, after accusing him of having sex with two female patients and disclosing the contents of their therapy sessions to other patients. Much of the woman's lawsuit, filed Monday in King County Superior Court, [...]
Arturo Hernandez-Pena, Orange County Psychiatrist, arrested
Arturo Hernandez-Pena Orlando Sentinel (Florida) Jail psychiatrist is arrested over billing December 11, 2010 By Jeff Weiner -- Excerpt A psychiatrist who saw patients at the Orange County Jail before his arrest last week is accused of ripping off an insurance company by billing for unnecessary treatment, court records show. Dr. Arturo Hernandez-Pena, 52, an employee of the Orange County Department of Health and Human Services, was arrested at the jail Dec. 1. He was fired the next day, records show. Court records show Hernandez-Pena's arrest stemmed from treatment he provided outside his jail job, at a business referred [...]
EDITORIAL: Why are doctors writing so many prescriptions?
Tuscaloosa News November 5, 2010 No doubt, Robert Bentley\'s \'to do\' list is growing daily as he prepares to become Alabama\'s next governor, but we hope he will add this: getting the state\'s Medicaid agency to release information on prescriptions written for expensive drugs. U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has been gathering information from across the nation to see why some doctors are writing stunning numbers of prescriptions that are paid for by taxpayers. Most states have provided this data; Alabama has not. It is important because, as it turns out, some doctors are writing far more prescriptions for psychiatric [...]
Edmundo Chirinos, Venezuela Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Edmundo Chirinos Associated Press Venezuelan psychiatrist sentenced in slaying September 29, 2010 -- Excerpt A prominent Venezuelan psychiatrist who once ran for president has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in the murder of a young woman who was his patient. The attorney general's office said Wednesday that Edmundo Chirinos was convicted of killing 19-year-old Roxana Vargas, whose body was found with a blow to the head in 2008 in a park on the outskirts of Caracas. Chirinos had pleaded innocent to the intentional homicide charge. The attorney general's office says investigators found some 1,200 photographs of nude [...]