MEDIA
Venkata Chintala, UK psychiatrist, suspended
BBC Former Southern Health psychiatrist did other work while on sick leave June 14, 2022 -- Excerpt A psychiatrist who called in sick, due to stress, and then worked for another provider hours later has been suspended for two months. Dr Venkata Chintala was employed by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust during January and May 2019, when she said she could not work but completed 10 appointments for another provider. She admitted misconduct and said she was "sad" and "disappointed"... But the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel said while she was found to have "some insight" into her misconduct, [...]
Rajeev Sheoran, Penticton psychiatrist, ordered to pay
Rajeev Sheoran 100 Mile Free Press Penticton psychiatrist ordered to pay Interior Health’s legal costs over failed lawsuit By Brennan Phillips May 30, 2022 -- Excerpt The Penticton psychiatrist who refused a $625,000 settlement and lost his lawsuit against Interior Health over being attacked by a patient will now also have to pay the health authority’s legal fees. In a judgment issued on May 26, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Steven Wilson concluded that the 36-day trial and the fact that IH was successful in its defense entitled it to having Dr. Rajeev Sheoran cover the legal costs... At Penticton Regional [...]
Mark Agresti, Palm Beach County psychiatrist, Sentenced
Mark Agresti Palm Beach Post (Florida) Sober-home fraud scheme doctor receives an 8-year term; Judge: Dr. Mark Agresti enabled $31.3 million insurance swindle By Jane Musgrave May 28, 2022 -- Excerpt With his wife and 90-year-old mother looking on, a once-respected Palm Beach County psychiatrist was handcuffed and led from a federal courtroom on Friday to begin serving an eight-year prison sentence for exploiting people struggling with addiction. Dr. Mark Agresti's quick transformation from free man to federal prisoner was unusual. Typically, white-collar criminals are allowed to remain free, get their affairs in order and then report to prison. But [...]
Yashwant Chaudhri, San Diego Psychiatrist, no “right to renew his license”
Yashwant Chaudhri WWLP Psychiatrist failed to document patient’s care and not properly terminate relationship By Ashley Shook May 28, 2022 -- Excerpt WAKEFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine announced Friday it has taken action... According to the Board, the following actions were taken against the medical licenses of Yashwant S. Chaudhri, M.D... Dr. Yashwant S. Chaudhri, a psychiatrist who currently practices medicine in San Diego, will not have the right to renew his license after the Board found that Dr. Chaudhri had been disciplined by the Medical Board of California for reasons substantially similar to [...]
David Ciancimino, Shelton Psychiatrist, Sentenced
David Ciancimino CT Insider Feds: Shelton psychiatrist sentenced for illegally prescribing Xanax, Adderall By Liz Hardaway May 26, 2022 -- Excerpt HARTFORD — A psychiatrist based out of Shelton was sentenced to more than three years in prison Thursday for prescribing Xanax and Adderall “with little to no medical examination,” according to federal prosecutors. David Ciancimino, 63, of Trumbull, practiced psychiatry and neurology at an office in Shelton. Law enforcement started looking into Ciancimino’s prescribing practices of various benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, and stimulants, like Adderall, in October 2020, according to United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. During the [...]
Patricia Boyer, Charlotte psychiatrist – license revoked
Patricia Boyer Charlotte Observer (North Carolina) Charlotte psychiatrist loses NC medical license after having affair with a patient By Michael Gordon May 26, 2022 -- Excerpt A veteran Charlotte psychiatrist lost her state medical license this week after having a lengthy affair with a patient whom she informally kept treating and medicating with no documentation. The N.C. Medical Board revoked the license of Dr. Patricia Boyer on Monday after finding that she violated professional standards by having an intimate relationship with a current or former patient... After several years of treatment that showed "a lack of therapeutic progress," Boyer discussed [...]
John Mitchell, Emmaus Psychiatrist, arrested
John Mitchell Lehighvalleylive.com Patient death led to charges Lehigh Valley doc overprescribed drugs for 15 years, AG says By Sarah Cassi May 24, 2022 -- Excerpt A Lehigh Valley woman’s death led prosecutors to a local doctor who overprescribed opioids and other drugs to patients over a 15-year period, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office said. John Mitchell, a psychiatrist who had offices in South Whitehall Township and Emmaus, was arrested Monday and charged with 13 counts, including unlawfully administering, dispensing or prescribing schedule II controlled substances. Mitchell, 70, was released on $75,000 unsecured bail. Court papers list a Quakertown address [...]
Scot Nicolson Duffton, Tasmania psychiatrist, barred from practicing
Scot Nicolson Duffton ABC NEWS Psychiatrist barred from practising after sexual relationship with patient in Hobart By Emily Baker May 12, 2022 -- Excerpt A psychiatrist who developed a sexual relationship with a vulnerable patient during at-home visits has been barred from working in mental health until 2024 after acknowledging his actions may have been "terribly damaging". Scot Nicolson Duffton in part blamed the death of his pet for the "huge violation of my professional ethics" more than 30 years into his medical career. Dr Duffton moved from New Zealand to Tasmania in June 2019 to work as a locum [...]
Robert Schnitzlein, Maryland psychiatrist, surrenders license
Robert Schnitzlein Democrat Star Psychiatrist surrenders license after sexual misconduct with patient By Natalie Jones May 8, 2022 -- Excerpt EASTON — A psychiatrist surrendered his license to practice medicine after violating sexual misconduct regulations at an Eastern Shore hospital in 2019, according to documents filed with the Maryland Board of Physicians. Former psychiatrist Robert Schnitzlein, M.D., surrendered his license on Tuesday, May 3, because he is no longer able to comply with the requirements of his suspension due to a medical condition preventing him from practicing medicine, according to a letter he submitted to the board. The Board [...]
Piet Hein van T – Makkinga psychiatrist, sentenced
Google Translation: Piet Hein van T RTV Drenthe Child psychiatrist jailed for possession of child pornography April 29, 2022 -- Excerpt A 70-year-old former child psychiatrist from GGZ Drenthe was sentenced on Friday in Zwolle to a year in prison for possession of child pornography. At the end of 2018, the man from the Frisian town of Makkinga was already convicted in Nepal for abusing underage boys. Piet Hein van T. was released early in 2020 in Nepal and returned to the Netherlands where he was arrested at the end of that year for possession and producing child pornography. According [...]
Chan Herng Nieng, Singapore Psychiatrist, sued by patient
Chan Herng Nieng The Straits Times Woman who had affair with psychiatrist sues ex-lover for prescribing 'addictive' pills By Selina Lum April 19, 2022 -- Excerpt SINGAPORE - A woman who had an affair with her psychiatrist is suing him for negligence, alleging that her former lover had freely prescribed "highly addictive" pills to her for anxiety without registering her as his patient. Ms Serene Tiong alleged that she became addicted to antidepressant drug Xanax and suffered side effects such as drowsiness and aggression because Dr Chan Herng Nieng had given her pills without ensuring that she would not become [...]
Jennifer Robinson, Michigan psychiatrist, VA Hospital, accused
Jennifer Robinson Macomb Daily Ex-Marine from Macomb County alleges sexual abuse by female VA psychiatrist By Jameson Cook April 5, 2022 -- Excerpt A female psychiatrist at the U.S. Veterans Administration hospital is accused of having a sexual relationship with a male ex-Marine who was being treated by her for PTSD and brain injury due to his combat experience. U.S. District Judge Gerschwin Drain recently upheld most of the claims by ex-Marine Trey Cholewa of Macomb County against Dr. Jennifer R. Robinson and the federal government for Robinson’s alleged sexual relationship with Cholewa, who was Robinson’s patient, in 2017 [...]
Mark Beale, Las Cruces psychiatrist, Sentenced
Mark Beale Las Cruces Sun-News 'You cannot treat women this way.' Patients testify against Las Cruces psychiatrist before judge deals sentence By Justin Garcia March 29, 2022 -- Excerpt LAS CRUCES - A former psychiatrist accused of drugging, raping and molesting several of his patients was sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday. Mark Beale, 74, pleaded no contest to two counts of felony criminal sexual penetration in the third degree, 12 counts of misdemeanor criminal sexual contact, and two counts of petty misdemeanor battery, according to a plea and disposition agreement... Beale was arrested in April 2019 after [...]
Harry Doyle, Pennsylvania Psychiatrist, sets new record
Harry Doyle U.S. Attorneys » Eastern District of Pennsylvania » News Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, March 28, 2022 Philadelphia Psychiatrist to Pay $3 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Workers’ Compensation Claims PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Dr. Harry Doyle and his wife, Sonya Doyle, of Philadelphia, PA, have agreed to pay a total of $3 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act. The alleged violations include submitting false billing to the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Worker’s Compensation Programs (OWCP) [...]
Psychiatrist Arvind Singh, PEI Psychiatrist – in hot water
Psychiatrist Arvind Singh CBC Woman inappropriately locked up at P.E.I. hospital, father alleges at doctor's misconduct hearing By Carolyn Ryan March 23, 2022 -- Excerpt A disciplinary hearing for a P.E.I. psychiatrist accused of professional misconduct heard Wednesday that he would order staff to lock up a patient with Huntington's disease for hours at a time. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of P.E.I. is considering allegations made against Dr. Arvind Singh at a series of hearings that began Wednesday in Charlottetown. The woman at the centre of the case is 40-year-old Laurel Hurst, who was under Singh's care [...]
Cuyler Burns Goodwin, Santa Rosa psychiatrist, loses license
Cuyler Burns Goodwin The Press Democrat North Bay doctor loses license after accusations of sexually assaulting drugged patients By Emily Wilder March 21, 2022 A Santa Rosa psychiatrist who worked for multiple North Bay counties had his license revoked earlier this month after the state medical board investigated allegations that he sexually assaulted two patients at his clinic between 2017 and 2019. The Osteopathic Medical Board of California revoked Dr. Cuyler Burns Goodwin’s physician license on March 8, according to state records, a decision that will take effect April 7... The board came to its conclusion after a three-month [...]
Derby Psychiatrist Anatta Nergui in hot water again
Derby Psychiatrist Anatta Nergui DerbyshireLive Derby doctor who put patients at risk has eighth tribunal in nine years By Callum Parke March 18, 2022 -- Excerpt A Derby doctor who has been the subject of eight tribunals in less than nine years has been sanctioned for a further four months. Dr Anatta Nergui was originally found guilty of misconduct in 2014 and has been found to have not fully reflected on the severity of his offending in six different hearings since. The psychiatrist was suspended by the Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service (MPTS) in 2014 for running a website and [...]
Ferda Sakman, Veterans Affairs psychiatrist, accused of sexual abuse
Ferda Sakman NBC Bay Area Vets Accuse VA Therapist of Abuse Involving Sex, Astrology, Psychedelic Drugs By Stephen Stock, Michael Bott, Michael Horn and Mark Villarreal March 15, 2022 - Updated on March 16, 2022 -- Excerpt Three Bay Area military veterans struggling with serious mental health issues have filed a federal lawsuit accusing their former Veterans Affairs (VA) psychiatrist of serious ethical and legal lapses, including sexual abuse, dosing an unwitting patient with a potent psychedelic drug, and using astrology to inform therapeutic decisions. In their darkest emotional hours – coping with major trauma experienced both in and outside [...]
B. P. Nagesh, Hyderabad Psychiatrist, “100 girls were raped”
B. P. Nagesh WAALI Hyderabad: Sex chatting with girls.. Psychiatrist arrested March 9, 2022 Dr. B. P. Nagesh, a well-known psychiatrist of the city, has been arrested by the police. The police found that he used to give motivational speeches in colleges and institutes and took phone numbers of girls. He is known to have sex chats with girls. A police investigation revealed that more than 100 girls were raped. The victims resorted to Sheeteam as they could not stop the harassment of those who wanted to have sex chats. Doctor BP Nagesh of Guntur was arrested and remanded by [...]
Adrian Morris, Clifton Park Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Adrian Morris Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of New York FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, March 7, 2022 Clifton Park Doctor Sentenced to 37 Months for Unlawful Drug Distribution ALBANY, NEW YORK – Adrian Morris, age 65, of Clifton Park, New York, formerly a licensed psychiatrist specializing in addiction recovery, was sentenced today to serve 37 months in prison for distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy Foley of the U.S. Drug [...]
Jeffrey Lieberman, Columbia University Psychiatrist, suspended
Jeffrey Lieberman New York Times Columbia Psychiatry Chair Suspended After Tweet About Dark-Skinned Model The post from Jeffrey Lieberman, which described the model as possibly a “freak of nature,” drew negative attention from medical professionals. By Lola Fadulu February 23, 2022 -- Excerpt The chair of the Columbia University department of psychiatry was suspended on Wednesday, “effective immediately,” after referring to a dark-skinned model as possibly a “freak of nature” on Twitter. “Whether a work of art or freak of nature she’s a beautiful sight to behold,” the department chair, Jeffrey A. Lieberman, tweeted on Monday in response to a [...]
Alan Siegal, Hamden psychiatrist, must pay about $310,000
Alan Siegal Hartford Courant Connecticut psychiatrist to pay $300K to settle with state and feds on allegation he employed unlicensed doctor By Jesse Leavenworth February 23, 2022 -- Excerpt A Hamden psychiatrist must pay about $310,000 to settle allegations that he employed a physician who had been banned from practicing medicine after a fraud conviction, state and federal officials said Wednesday. The settlement with Dr. Alan Siegal, owner of Geriatric and Adult Psychiatry LLC, centered on his employment of Eric Ressner, who was prohibited from taking part in government health care programs, state Attorney General William Tong and acting [...]
Karipenini Prasad, Canfield psychiatrist, sentenced in drug case
Karipenini Prasad WFMJ Former Canfield psychiatrist sentenced in drug case February 23, 2022 By Mike Gauntner -- Excerpt A veteran Valley psychiatrist who gave up his license to practice medicine for illegally prescribing drugs has been sentenced to six months probation. The sentencing came Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for 81-year old Karipenini Prasad. The 81-year-old former Canfield psychiatrist, who pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal processing of drug documents, is now residing in assisted living in another state according to court officials. According to a document filed with the Ohio Medical Board, Prasad voluntarily [...]
Deborah Staite, UK Psychiatrist, drunk driver
Daily Mail Psychiatrist who was in rush-hour car crash after drinking three bottles of wine is allowed to keep her job By Richard Marsden February 14, 2022 -- Excerpt Psychiatrist Deborah Staite A psychiatrist who downed three bottles of wine before a head-on crash has been allowed to keep her job after she was deemed 'no risk' to patients. Dr Deborah Staite, 50, was uninsured and did not even have a driving licence at the time of the collision in 2020. She had failed to renew it after serving a previous ban for drink-driving, a tribunal heard... The [...]
George Karalis, San Fran Psychiatrist, must pay $1.4M in restitution
George Karalis KTVU San Francisco psychiatrist to pay $1.4M in restitution for submitting false workers compensation reports February 10, 2022 -- Excerpt SAN FRANCISCO - A San Francisco psychiatrist was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to serve 120 days in prison and pay $1.4 million restitution after he pleaded guilty to a scheme to submit false reports for non-disabled clients to receive federal benefits to which they were not entitled. George Demetrius Karalis, 76, pleaded guilty Aug. 11 and was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The government's sentencing memorandum describes [...]