MEDIA
David Brizer, NY Psych, Sentenced
LOHUD Former Nyack psychiatrist gets probation for selling oxy scripts --Excerpt A psychiatrist once associated with the Nyack Hospital drug-treatment program has been sentenced to probation, community service and fined $5,000 for selling drug prescriptions worth millions of dollars. Dr. David Brizer, 60, received the non-jail sentence Monday on the prosecution by the state Attorney General’s Office, which brought the 55-count indictment. Brizer faced up to one to three years in prison under a plea agreement before Rockland County Court Judge William Nelson at the County Courthouse in New City. Brizer, who was last affiliated with Nyack Hospital in [...]
Jackson Dempsey, Oregon psychiatrist, sabotaged biking trails
The Columbian Psychiatrist who vandalized trails says he regrets actions, is building practice --Excerpt MEDFORD, Ore. — The former Jackson County psychiatrist who vandalized mountain biking trails in the Ashland watershed says he regrets his actions and is moving forward with a new psychiatry practice. Jackson Tyler Dempsey, 58, was charged in August 2012 with fourth-degree assault and two counts of recklessly endangering another person after he admitted to stringing nylon cord and laying nails and vegetation across trails in the Ashland watershed in summer 2012. Dempsey told a Forest Service arresting officer that he vandalized the trails because [...]
The Inexorable Push for Psychiatrist Records
Daily Republic News OUR VIEW: Leaders need to educate others about transparency by Jeff Schweers January 1, 2014 We’d been feeling pretty good lately about the degree to which South Dakota’s government has opened up. Law changes in recent years, including a presumption of openness for state government records, and better leadership have generally made public information in our state easier to get. Sadly, a recent fight between a South Dakota official and a Florida man have once again proved that when openness is given a true test — by a private citizen against a bureaucrat [...]
Florida man pries records away from SD officials
The Daily Republic (now known as the Mitchell Republic) December 26, 2013 Florida man pries records away from SD officials By Chris Mueller It took nearly five months, but a Florida man has been allowed to view records about doctors excluded from Medicaid in South Dakota. In July, Ken Kramer, of Clearwater, Fla., asked the South Dakota Department of Social Services for the names of every doctor terminated or excluded from Medicaid, a federal-state health care program for the poor, since 2010. Individuals or companies may be excluded from federal medical programs for various reasons, including health care fraud, overcharging [...]
Ali Salim, Ohio Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Ali Salim The Columbus Dispatch Doctor sentenced to 36 years for killing pregnant woman --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 was killed... Until his arrest, Salim was an [...]
Mark Greenbain, Michigan Psychiatrist, sentenced
Mark Greenbain Propublica ‘Let the Crime Spree Begin’: How Fraud Flourishes in Medicare’s Drug Plan --Excerpt In early 2011, federal investigators wiretapped the phones of Babubhai Patel, the owner of several Detroit-area pharmacies. They suspected him of improperly dispensing narcotics and other controlled drugs. The investigators learned that Patel wasn’t just peddling painkillers. The 51-year-old pharmacist had a stable of doctors willing to write Part D prescriptions for any drug he wanted, any time he wanted. In return, the doctors got cash, a flock of new patients and, in at least one case, a down payment for an office building, [...]
David Gudeman, California Psychiatrist, license revoked
Ventura County Star Medical board revokes Simi Valley psychiatrist's license --Excerpt State regulators have told a Simi Valley psychiatrist he can no longer practice medicine and that his request for a rehearing has been denied, an attorney said Monday. The Medical Board of California agreed in October to an administrative judge’s ruling that Dr. David Gudeman’s license should be revoked because he negligently prescribed painkillers and kept inadequate records. That decision was put on hold when Gudeman challenged it by requesting a review. But the delay ended Friday. James Studer, Gudeman’s lawyer, said he was told Monday that the [...]
Abhishek Shah, Connecticut Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Abhishek Shah Hartford Courant PSYCHIATRIST PLEADS NO CONTEST --Excerpt 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 before his sentencing. His original charges were first-degree sexual assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree assault and [...]
David Israelstam, Wisconsin Psychiatrist, Sentenced
David Israelstam Channel3000 Madison psychiatrist sentenced for child porn possession --Excerpt A Madison psychiatrist will spend a year and a half behind bars for possession of child pornography as part of a plea deal. David Israelstam, 73, was also sentenced Thursday to three and a half years of extended supervision and seven years of probation after his time in prison. A criminal complaint said Madison police found several binders and at least 64 images of child porn in Israelstam’s home. He was arrested in February... While his attorneys said he was a sex addict, the prosecution argued he was a [...]
Amar Nath Bhandary, Edmond psychiatrist, Sentenced
https://www.justice.gov/ 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 $20,000 fine. Dr. Bhandary was [...]
Evan Zimmer, Miami Psychiatrist, indicted for racketeering
The Miami Herald Complaints about medical professionals gather dust; INVESTIGATION --Excerpt Evan Zimmer has been indicted for racketeering, arrested for drunk driving, and busted for soliciting a prostitute, after which he showed up in court while impaired. He’s also a psychiatrist, licensed to this day to practice in South Florida... Excerpted from: Complaints about medical professionals gather dust; INVESTIGATION By Steve Miller The Miami Herald October 20 2013 Read the full original article here. This excerpt is reproduced for purposes of commentary, criticism, and public education under fair-use principles.
Marvin Korn, Larchmont psychiatrist, Charged
Marvin Korn New York Post Psychiatrist charged with selling prescriptions --Excerpt WHITE PLAINS — A suburban New York psychiatrist has been charged with illegally selling prescriptions to medications including the painkiller Oxycontin and the anti-anxiety drug Valium. The Westchester County district attorney’s office says Dr. Marvin L. Korn was arraigned Thursday on three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance. The 61-year-old Korn, of Larchmont, was arrested after a six-month undercover operation involving the Westchester district attorney’s office and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad... Korn faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if he is convicted [...]
Nidal Hasan, Army Psychiatrist, Sentenced to Death
USA TODAY Jury sentences Hasan to death for '09 Fort Hood massacre --Excerpt FORT HOOD, Texas — Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist convicted in the November 2009 shooting rampage that left 13 dead and 31 wounded, was sentenced to death Wednesday by a military jury. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, saying Hasan's murderous rampage at the sprawling military base here left tragic and devastating loss for victims and loved ones. Hasan, 42, was convicted last week on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 charges of attempted premeditated murder. He appeared expressionless upon hearing the verdict, which came [...]
William Ayres, Peninsula child psychiatrist, sentenced
William Ayres San Jose Mercury News Peninsula child psychiatrist William Ayres sentenced to eight years for molesting patients --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 and lascivious acts with [...]
Cecilia Chen, Former Army Psychiatrist, 10 year sentence
Cecilia Chen NJ.com N.J. appeals panel upholds conviction in case that led to sweeping new eyewitness testimony standards --Excerpt TRENTON — In a case that helped lead to sweeping new standards for eyewitness testimony in New Jersey, a state appeals panel has upheld the 2006 conviction of a former U.S. Army psychiatrist who attacked and tried to kill an Ocean Township woman. The three-judge panel Tuesday affirmed a lower court's finding that the prosecution of Cecilia Chen, 38, who is serving a 10-year sentence in state prison, was not tainted when the victim's husband showed his wife a picture of [...]
Daryl Westerback, Thousand Oaks Psychiatrist, Arrested
KTLA5 Local Doctor Accused of Treating Patients While on Drugs --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 influence of prescription drugs, police said. Westerback ran a private practice [...]
William Ellien, Savannah Psychiatrist, sentenced to prison
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 during the [...]
Abdullahi Mohamed, Michigan Psychiatrist, Sentenced
The Monroe Evening News (Michigan) Doctor sentenced in sexual assaults --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 to three counts of criminal sexual conduct-fourth degree involving [...]
Richard Pines, Boise Psychiatrist, Arrested
KTVB Former Boise doctor arrested for sex crimes involving children after multi-year investigation --Excerpt BOISE, Idaho — A Boise man and former adolescent psychiatrist is facing three felony counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16 after he was arrested Friday by multiple agencies. Boise Police said 63-year-old Richard Pines was arrested following "years of investigating" crimes in Ada County and Boise County. The crimes occurred against three minors in Boise County between 2004 and 2008, according to Friday's release. The Associated Press in 2015 reported the Idaho Supreme Court ruled Pines "violated state law by having improper [...]
Gary Kushner, Florida Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Gary Kushner PRESS RELEASE Medical Director for Miami-Based Health Care Clinic Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison for Role in $50 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme Friday, March 15, 2013 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs A former medical director for Biscayne Milieu, a Miami-based mental-health clinic, was sentenced today to serve 144 months in prison for his role in a fraud scheme involving the submission of more than $50 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; [...]
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 [...]
James Cocores, Boca Raton Psychiatrist, Arrested
WPBF Doctor jailed, accused of writing unlawful prescriptions --Excerpt BOCA RATON, Fla. — Patients coming to see Dr. James Cocores will be disappointed to discover he's not in his Boca Raton office Friday. Instead, the psychiatrist is in jail. Cocores was arrested late Thursday and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of trafficking in opium and writing an unlawful prescription for at least $1,000 worth of dangerous drugs. Boca Raton police said an undercover officer posing as a patient sought prescription medication and counseling for a traumatic event. Police said Cocores prescribed multiple medications to her, [...]
Jean Elie, Brooklyn shrink, busted for scam
New York Post B’klyn shrink busted for alleged $230K Medicaid scam --Excerpt A Brooklyn psychiatrist has been arrested for allegedly scamming Medicaid out of $230,000 in fake head-shrinking sessions, authorities said today. Jean Elie, 50, also wrote over $1 million worth of prescriptions for Seroquel, an antipsychotic popular among drug addicts, according to the state Attorney General’s office. Investigators believe some of Elie’s clients resold their prescriptions to on the street. “Crooked doctors who abuse their position and their privileges do tremendous harm to their patients,” said state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. “In this case, Dr. Elie also ripped [...]
Todd Clements, Texas Psychiatrist, surrenders license
Dallas Morning News Convicted Frisco psychiatrist surrenders medical license --Excerpt A nationally known Frisco psychiatrist convicted of fraudulently issuing prescriptions surrendered his medical license on Wednesday, according to the Collin County District Attorney’s Office. Todd M. Clements, 43, who lived in Frisco and practiced in Plano and Frisco pleaded guilty to three felony counts of obtaining controlled substances by fraudulently issuing prescriptions. According to the district attorney’s office, Clements obtained Lisdexaphetamine and Zolpidem, both controlled substances, by issuing fraudulent prescriptions on Aug. 5, 2009, and March 1, 2010. Clements was a practicing doctor at Clements Clinic of Plano and [...]
Priscilla Ilem, Wayne psychiatrist, Pleaded Guilty
Priscilla Ilem PRESS RELEASE Wayne psychiatrist pleads guilty to illegally selling oxycodone prescriptions to patients September 18, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE U.S. Attorney’s Office, New Jersey CAMDEN, N.J. – Dr. Priscilla Ilem admitted today to illegally selling oxycodone prescriptions from her Wayne office, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Ilem, 85, of Wayne, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas in Camden federal court to an Information charging her with distribution of oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice. According to documents filed in this case [...]