PENNSYLVANIA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— MD055731L DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—none listed as of 6/27/2018
Doctor Accused of Indecent Assault in Lackawanna County
SCRANTON, Pa. – A doctor in Scranton is accused of indecent assault.
According to arrest papers, Dr. Joel Laury dropped his pants in an exam room last week and inappropriately touched a 20-year-old female college student he was supposed to be training.
Dr. would not tell his side of the story as he left the Lackawanna County Courthouse.
According to court papers, Dr. Laury was at his office on Olive Street last week in a shopping center in Scranton.
Also at the office was a 20-year-old woman studying to be a physician assistant.
Paperwork shows he brought her into an exam room, locked the door, and told her to take her sweater off so he could show her how to use a stethoscope.
After that, the woman claims he stripped to his underwear, groped her, and would not let her out of the exam room until she put her sweater back on.
The affidavit also shows when police questioned Dr. Laury, he admitted to the incident and was charged with indecent assault, lewdness, and harassment.
We tried to get a comment from Horizon Medical Corporation. We wanted to know if Dr. Laury is still practicing after the arrest.
One of Dr. Laury’s attorneys dropped by Horizon Medical’s Olive Street offices but would not say if the doctor is still seeing patients.
We also checked with the Pennsylvania Department of State to see if Dr. Laury’s medical license has been suspended. Late Tuesday afternoon, Laury’s license remained active, according to the state’s website.
Dr. Laury is scheduled to be in court next week. (LINK)—6/26/2018
More Indecent Assault Charges Against Scranton Doctor Accused of Fondling Female Pre-med Student
SCRANTON, Pa. – A doctor in Scranton accused of fondling a med student is facing more charges.
More alleged victims have come forward, accusing Doctor Joel Laury of sex crimes.
Dr. Joel Laury was silent as he walked out of the Lackawanna County Courthouse after he was charged with more counts of indecent assault as well as indecent exposure.
These new charges come a month after Laury, an allergist in Scranton, was charged with indecent assault on June 26 for allegedly inappropriately touching a 20-year-old female college student who was his job shadow here at his office on Olive Street.
Now two more alleged victims have contacted authorities, saying they were touched inappropriately.
Investigators say one of those victims is a 13-year-old girl.
Laury’s attorney says the accusations slander a well-respected doctor.
“He’s a physician for 23 years, never had a complaint against him, these kinds of allegations, they’re going to have a chilling effect on every physician who treating a patient,” said attorney Paul Walker.
According to court paperwork, both victims came forward to authorities after seeing reports of Dr. Laury’s arrest on the news.
Court papers show one of the alleged victims is a pre-med college student who has been a patient of Laury’s since the age of 12.
During her yearly check-up in August 2017, Laury offered her a job shadow with him.
Investigator say during training, he took her into an exam room and told her to take off her shirt and bra, saying he would show her had to use a stethoscope by using it on her.
Another time, Laury had them both get undressed and allegedly made them examine each other on the exam table.
She quit the job shadow that day.
Court papers show the 13-year-old girl was being examined by Laury in an exam room with her mother present earlier this year.
Investigators say when the mother turned to speak with a nurse, Laury put his hands between the teen’s legs.
Court papers show during an interview with investigators the child told them Laury touched her underneath her underwear on her skin.
“This is going to have a chilling effect on doctors now who examine patients, who are trying to teach other people how to examine patients,” said Walker.
According to the State Board of Medicine as of June 27, Joel Laury had his license to practice as a medical physician and surgeon temporarily suspended, pending a hearing, on the grounds that his continued practice with the Commonwealth may be an immediate and clear danger to the public health and safety.
This essentially means he can no longer see patients at this time.
Laury is currently out on $50,000 unsecured bail for each count. (LINK)—7/27/2018
NEW YORK MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 238870 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—none listed as of 6/27/2018
LOCAL PSYCHIATRIST FOUND NOT GUILTY OF SEXUALLY ABUSING PATIENT; MORE CHARGES AWAIT
Utica City Court Judge F. Christopher Giruzzi Thursday afternoon found local psychiatrist Dr. Surendra Johri not guilty of sexually abusing a patient.
Utica City Court Judge F. Christopher Giruzzi Thursday afternoon found local psychiatrist Dr. Surendra Johri not guilty of sexually abusing a patient. The female patient had claimed the doctor placed her hand on his groin, over his pants, during a counseling session at Community Health & Behavioral Services Center, at 1427 Genesee Street, in Utica.
“Ultimately, he was terminated from their employment. when he was terminated from their employment, they called her up to set up a different appointment. When she found out, she disclosed to the secretary and said, ‘well I’m glad, because he did this to me,’” said Oneida County District Attorney, Scott McNamara.
The defense says it never happened.
“Oh, I’m saying that it didn’t happen at all. Unfortunately, the complainant had very serious issues,” said Defense Attorney, Christopher Pelli.
McNamara says there are inherent challenges in cases like this.
“The problem any time you’re dealing with a sexual assault type case, you have two witnesses-the victim and you have the perpetrator, and it’s commonly referred to as a he said she said situation. Without more, those cases are inherently very very difficult to prove,” said McNamara.
The defense and prosecution are in agreement on thing: the difficulty of these cases.
“These are difficult cases. My client is a doctor, he has certain responsibilities with regard to those patients and some of them are unstable and this happens from time to time,” said Pelli.
Dr. Surendra Johri faces additonal charges from another victim: one count each, of forcible touching and sexual abuse. This case should go to trial sometime this summer. (LINK)—6/21/2018
Local psychiatrist again charged with sex abuse
UTICA — A local psychiatrist recently found not guilty of sexual abuse now faces additional abuse charges, city police said.
Dr. Surendra Johri, 61, of New Hartford, is charged with forcible touching and third-degree sex abuse, both misdemeanors, police said.
The allegations stem from actions taking place in November 2017 in Utica, authorities said.
Johri turned himself in at the Utica Police Department on June 18 and was released on his own recognizance.
He is scheduled to return to Utica City Court on Thursday, July 5.
Local police say they worked in conjunction with the state Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs on the investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call Utica police at 315-223-3510.
Johri at one time worked at Community Health and Behavioral Services, an affiliate of Upstate Cerebral Palsy.
In response to an inquiry about the case, the nonprofit released a statement: “Although we are not able to comment on the specific details of this case to ensure confidentiality, at Upstate Cerebral Palsy, our more than 2,000 employees serve thousands of children, adults and families every year. Policies are in place and measures are taken to maintain the safety and well-being of each person we support as well as our staff. This independent contractor is no longer providing services at our agency and his absence has not created any disruption in the provision of service. Our mission at Upstate Cerebral Palsy is to support people of all abilities and to help them lead happy, fulfilling lives. We remain true to this mission and will continue to train staff to work with the highest level of safety, care and concern for the people who we are so privileged to support.”
Johri was found not guilty of a third-degree sexual abuse charge after a trial in Utica City Court last week. (LINK)—6/26/2018
Necropsies were conducted over the last month on dozens of dead birds taken from the house.
Police investigators told Channel 2’s Liz Artz that the birds died from starvation and dehydration.
Police said Trivedi was a doctor at DeKalb Medical Center.
He was granted a signature bond in court Friday and ordered to stay away from animals. Police said more charges are possible.
Artz spoke to some of Trivedi’s neighbors.
“He’s a very strange man. He needs help,“ said one neighbor who asked not to be identified.
“I wish there were a way to compel him to vacate the house. I would like to see the health department declare it unfit for human habitation and have it leveled,” another neighbor said.
“I hope they use him as an example. You can’t do that to animals. No one should be allowed to do that,“ a neighbor said.
Police told Artz that the doctor surrendered the 337 birds and eight dogs the day before he was arrested.
Animal services officials said none of them are ready for adoption. Sources close to the case told Artz that at least 50 bird carcasses were found in varying stages of decomposition inside the house, and some were in piles on the floor.
“Those poor animals living in conditions like that, and no regard for his neighbors. (It’s a) health hazard, and the guy needs help. (I) hope he finds it when incarcerated,” one neighbor said.
Artz asked the neighbor what he though about Trivedi being a cardiologist.
“Bizarre, bizarre … and he’s supposed to be upholding the most sterile conditions in the operating room and he’s living in filth with animal waste. I mean, come on, that’s crazy,“ he said.
DeKalb Medical officials said staff leadership will review the case and make a decision about Trivedi.
Neighbors told Artz that Trivedi has had crews working non-stop at his house picking up trash and trying to clean up. At the time of the seizure, police said the ammonia levels were so high inside the house that it was not safe for humans or animals.
Animal services officials are keeping the 337 birds in an undisclosed location.
The agency said it needs financial help taking care of the birds, and they cannot be adopted out.
There is a GoFundMe page set up if you would like to help. (LINK)—8/12/2016
Doctor found with hundreds of birds, other dead animals in his home pleads guilty in court
Abhay Trivedi is prohibited from possessing any animals.
DECATUR, Ga. – A doctor who authorities arrested in 2016 after they found hundreds of birds and other animals dead in his home has pleaded guilty in the case.
The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office said 45-year-old Abhay Trivedi entered the guilty plea Wednesday in court to seven counts of cruelty to animals. A judge sentenced him to seven years of probation.
Authorities went to the cardiologist’s home on Echo Trail on July 13, 2016, after receiving an anonymous complaint. The person accused Trivedi of hoarding birds that were malnourished.
Officers went to his home with a search warrant. They said Animal Control officers put on hazmat gear during inspection because the home was in unsanitary conditions.
Chemical testing revealed near toxic ammonia levels from the amount of animal feces and urine. Authorities found more than a dozen chickens, four dogs, and hundreds of birds.
Officials with the district attorney’s office said many of the birds were left dead in cages or suffered from various states of dehydration and malnutrition.
The rescued animals were taken to Lifeline Animal Project of DeKalb County.
As a part of his sentencing, the judge also ordered Trivedi pay $59,466 in restitution to Lifeline for housing and medical costs associated with the animals in their care. Trivedi is prohibited from possessing any animals and must also submit to mental health evaluations and treatment. (LINK)—6/22/2018
WYOMING MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 7349A DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—License expired 6/30/2017; suspended; see more at bottom of this blog post
Cody doctor charged with aggravated assault for crash
A Cody psychiatrist is facing a felony charge of aggravated assault after he allegedly inhaled intoxicating vapors, passed out and crashed into an oncoming vehicle last week.
As the Park County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office describes the March 14 crash, Matthew V. Hopkins “intentionally or knowingly cause[d] bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon” — with the weapon being his vehicle.
There is no suggestion in charging documents that Hopkins purposefully drove into the other driver on Cody’s 8th Street, but at a court hearing last week, a deputy prosecutor said the doctor should have known the dangers of huffing toxic chemicals and driving.
It was the second time in four months that Hopkins, 49, has been charged with driving while under the influence; in a November incident, Hopkins is alleged to have clipped a parked vehicle while drunk.
Hopkins had been operating a solo practice called Integrated Psychiatric Solutions, but he said in circuit court that “it’s closed down now because of this.”
Hopkins added that he was planning to take a job in Vermont, but the offer was rescinded because of the DUI charge from November, “so I am unemployed,” he said.
Hopkins — whose specialties include addiction psychiatry — has previously run into trouble with medical licensing boards for struggles with addiction. That trouble dates back to 2003, when his medical license in New Hampshire was suspended after he was caught writing fake prescriptions for Adderall to himself. At that time, he also admitted to a drinking problem and was enlisted in a recovery program for doctors.
Hopkins later moved to Cody and, at the direction of the Wyoming Board of Medicine, was placed in a similar program here. Noncompliance with that Wyoming Professional Assistance Program led to a six-month suspension of Hopkins’ medical license in 2011, board records show, but his privileges to practice medicine were fully restored in July 2015.
In court last week, Hopkins indicated he relapsed into addiction in recent months.
His court-appointed defense attorney, Bill Simpson, noted that Hopkins’ father died abruptly in September.
“I understand there was a ‘relapse,’ for lack of a better term, and this [recent arrest] appears to be a continuation of some of those issues, would that be correct?” Simpson asked.
“Yes,” Hopkins agreed.
He also said he understood the gravity of the charges.
On Wednesday, Hopkins waived his right to a preliminary hearing — allowing the case to advance to district court, where he’ll next enter a plea. Over the objection of prosecutors, Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters agreed to lower Hopkins’ bond to $20,000 cash or surety; he made bail and was released from jail on Wednesday, pending further proceedings.
Judge Waters had initially set Hopkins’ bond at $50,000 cash or surety at last week’s hearing.
“It’s a problem, and it’s a serious problem,” Waters said of huffing and driving. “And especially when somebody who’s just driving down the street, minding their own business, gets clobbered head-on. That poses a danger to the public.
“So, even though I understand the professional career, the professional side of this thing, I’ve got to keep in mind public safety issues as well,” Waters said.
According to an affidavit from Cody Police Officer Blake Stinson, filed in support of the charges, witnesses saw Hopkins’ Toyota FJ Cruiser cross over to the wrong side of the road and crash into a Chevy truck. The other woman’s truck was knocked 15 feet backwards, Stinson wrote. It was around 8:45 a.m. on March 14.
The woman told police that Hopkins was passed out when he hit her. Two other witnesses had been following Hopkins — concerned about the way he’d been acting — and said they’d watched him nearly crash before he hit the truck. One of those witnesses told police she found Hopkins passed out behind the wheel, with his foot “flooring the accelerator” and a can of Dust-Off in his hand, Stinson wrote.
Dust-Off is compressed gas that’s sometimes referred to as “canned air.” It’s meant for cleaning, but the chemical it contains can be inhaled for a kind of euphoric high; labels on cans of Dust-Off warn that misusing the product and deliberately inhaling it can be fatal.
Simpson had argued for a $20,000 surety bond while Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Leda Pojman argued for bond to be set at $150,000 cash.
“Although on its face that seems like a lot of money, it’s not in this circumstance, your honor,” Pojman said of the $150,000 figure, calling Hopkins “an extreme danger to society, not just a danger.”
“First of all, he’s on probation [sic] for DUI, and what does he do? He allegedly goes out and does this: One of the most dangerous things you can do, your honor, huff and drive — and the doctor should know that,” Pojman said.
She said Hopkins had “no regard” for the law or his bond conditions, “can’t be trusted” and is an “extreme flight risk.”
Simpson said the assertion that Hopkins is a flight risk was “sheer conjecture and speculation without any foundation,” noting Hopkins has spent many years in Cody and has a wife and child there. Simpson suggested that, if allowed to go free on bond, a 24/7 ankle monitor could ensure that Hopkins stays sober.
“He has had some personal issues that have come down very fast and heavy, and obviously the allegations are such that they do need to be dealt with,” Simpson said. He said that’s included “some very difficult financial circumstances.”
In addition to the aggravated assault charge, Hopkins is also charged with misdemeanor counts of driving while under the influence of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a toxic substance for last week’s crash.
In the prior case from Nov. 13, Hopkins is charged with five misdemeanor counts: driving while under the influence of alcohol and controlled substances, leaving the scene of a crash, having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, no proof of auto insurance and backing without caution.
A witness reported seeing Hopkins’ Cruiser back into a parked, unattended vehicle at Walgreen’s, shortly before noon; the male driver — alleged to be Hopkins — stopped, tried to wipe off the paint and left.
The witness caught the license plate number for Hopkins’ vehicle, prompting a Park County Sheriff’s deputy and officer Stinson to check his home in rural Cody. The peace officers reportedly found Hopkins acting strangely and found an open bottle of vodka in the Toyota.
Hopkins denied being drunk, but acknowledged having consumed alcohol earlier in the day and said he’d taken three prescriptions that morning, Stinson wrote in a different affidavit.
“All three drugs have warnings about driving while using the medication and listing possible negative interactions and increased risk of side effects when combined with alcohol,” Stinson wrote.
Hopkins failed sobriety tests and was arrested, registering a 0.102 percent blood alcohol level at the jail; under state law, a person is considered drunk when their alcohol blood content is at or above 0.08 percent.
Hopkins pleaded not guilty to the charges. Simpson filed a motion to have the case dismissed for lack of evidence in late November — arguing in part that police couldn’t prove Hopkins was the driver of the vehicle or when he drank the alcohol — but earlier this month, the case was scheduled for a change of plea hearing in May.
Editor’s note: This version removes incorrect information stating that prosecutors agreed to a bond reduction on Wednesday; in fact, they objected.(LINK)—3/23/2017
Cody psychiatrist to enter drug program
Alleged to have purchased canned air while on bond
After being charged with two DUIs in a four-month span, a Cody psychiatrist plans to enter a residential treatment program.
Last week, Dr. Matthew Hopkins was given permission to leave Park County so he can travel to a facility based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hopkins received the court’s blessing after pleading not guilty to several charges related to a head-on crash that took place in Cody on March 14; authorities say Hopkins caused the crash by “huffing” compressed air from a Dust-Off can while driving, passing out and drifting into the oncoming lane of traffic. The driver of the truck he hit suffered injuries.
Hopkins faces a felony count of aggravated assault and battery — alleging he “intentionally or knowingly” caused an injury with his SUV — and misdemeanor counts of driving while under the influence of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a toxic substance.
He’s been out of jail and free on bond in that case since March 22; he also has a still-pending misdemeanor DUI charge from last November, which alleges he drove drunk and clipped a vehicle parked at Walgreen’s. Hopkins had been out on bond in that case when he was arrested on the huffing and driving allegations last month.
At the request of the Park County Attorney’s Office, District Court Judge Steven Cranfill added a new condition to Hopkins’ bond during the April 19 hearing, prohibiting him from possessing glue, aerosol or any other toxic vapor while the felony case is pending. Prosecutors asked for that condition after staff at Wyoming Home and Ranch reported that, on April 11, Hopkins went into the store two times and bought canned air. A Wyoming Home and Ranch employee brought the purchases to the attention of the store’s owner (who notified police) because “they were aware of Dr. Matthew Hopkins’ recent arrest in which he was alleged to have been huffing,” Cody Police Lt. Jason Stafford wrote in an affidavit included in court records.
Through his court-appointed attorney, Scott Kath, Hopkins did not oppose the new bond condition.
Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Leda Pojman expressed some qualms about allowing Hopkins to travel to Minnesota.
“The state wants to give the defendant a chance to go to treatment, but the state also wants to keep the defendant under the watchful eye of local law enforcement, for I think what’s the obvious reasons,” Pojman said.
After requesting that the county attorney’s office receive regular updates on Hopkins’ status at the Minnesota facility, she ultimately did not object.
“The state hopes that they don’t regret that,” Pojman said.
Public records show Hopkins’ struggles with alcohol and controlled substances date back to his days as a medical intern in 2003. Hopkins said in court last month that he’s closed down his solo practice, Integrated Psychiatric Solutions, “because of this.”
A trial in the huffing case is tentatively set for Aug. 10. (LINK)—4/27/2017
Cody psychiatrist re-arrested after alleged drunk biking
A Cody psychiatrist is back in jail after he allegedly got drunk and crashed his bicycle — disobeying orders from two different judges to stay away from alcohol.
“I can’t believe this happened to me,” Dr. Matthew Hopkins said in Park County District Court last week. “I’m rather stunned by it, I will admit. I had been doing very well when I got out of treatment.”
Hopkins went through a month-long treatment program after a head-on crash in March; prosecutors say he caused the collision by getting high off of compressed air. Hopkins faces a felony count of aggravated assault in that case, along with a misdemeanor charge of driving while under the influence of a controlled substance.
In June, Hopkins was also placed on unsupervised probation for backing into a parked car in the Cody Walgreens’ parking lot and leaving the scene last year; the Park County Attorney’s Office initially charged Hopkins with driving under the influence of alcohol and/or prescription medication for that November incident, but ultimately decided they didn’t have enough evidence and dropped that charge last month. Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Branden Vilos said part of the issue was that responding Cody police officers never asked for or obtained a blood sample from Hopkins.
At a June 28 sentencing hearing in Circuit Court for the Walgreens hit-and-run, Hopkins agreed with his defense attorney, Bill Simpson of Cody, that he needed to stay sober.
“Although the allegations are significant, it could have been much worse, and I think he has taken that as some kind of sign that he needs to continue to maintain his sobriety to ensure not only his safety, but the safety of the people in and around him,” Simpson said of Hopkins. “And to hopefully one day go back to what he did very well at one point in time — which was be a doctor of psychiatry and service a great many people and give them hope and assistance.”
Simpson — who is himself about to become a judge — asked Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters to give Hopkins some hope and assistance, too, by putting him on probation and not giving him the 20 days of jail time requested by the prosecution.
“Whatever terms and conditions Judge Waters imposed, do we have your word that you’ll adhere to that?” Simpson asked his client.
“Yes, you do,” Hopkins said.
Judge Waters went with probation and imposed conditions that included a requirement to not drink alcohol.
However, two days later, on the afternoon of June 30, a citizen reported that a man on a bicycle had fallen near Big Horn Avenue and was having a hard time getting up.
Responding Cody police officers say they found and arrested an uncooperative, intoxicated Hopkins, with a bottle of Smirnoff vodka in his pocket. A breath test later pegged Hopkins’ blood alcohol content at 0.215 percent, Cody police say — more than 2 ½ times the level at which a person is considered too intoxicated to drive.
Prosecutors filed motions to revoke Hopkins’ bond and probation over the incident, holding him in jail.
In district court last week, Deputy Park County Attorney Leda Pojman asked that Hopkins’ bond in the huffing/aggravated assault case be hiked from $20,000 — which he had posted with the help of a bondsman — to a $50,000 bond that can only be posted in cash.
“He flat-out does what he wants when he wants with complete disregard for this court’s order; he doesn’t listen; he doesn’t care,” Pojman said of Hopkins.
She also called him an extreme danger to society.
“It’s not going to stop until he kills somebody, your honor,” Pojman argued.
Hopkins disagreed, saying he had “15 years clean and sober before all this and it was a slip” and suggested a $5,000 surety bond would be appropriate. He has previously said his relapse stemmed from the death of his father and other issues last year.
“I am not a danger to society. This is a one-time thing,” Hopkins said in court Wednesday. “I have turned my will and my life over to God and I have really done a lot of soul-searching the … almost two weeks I’ve been in jail. It’s been a terrifying experience; I never want to repeat that again.”
Hopkins previously served nine days in jail before making bail in the two cases.
At his June 28 sentencing for the Walgreens hit-and-run, Hopkins said his two criminal cases had been “extremely” humbling.
“I mean, my medical license is suspended and I may never get it back — and I worked so hard for that, you have no idea,” Hopkins said.
The doctor said he’d lowered his standards to the point that he would take any job, biking around Cody every day looking for one.
“It’s been very difficult because I am 50 years old. That other [huffing] charge was on the front page of the newspaper, so everyone knows about it and I cannot drive,” Hopkins said. “There’s jobs all over the place available for me if I didn’t have a pending felony charge and I could drive. … But it’s been really tough.”
Speaking in district court last week, Hopkins said people didn’t want to hire him, he suffered a knee injury that left him unable to work out and said his family was out of town at the time he was arrested for allegedly being drunk on his bike. Hopkins appeared to be about to give a detailed account of what happened that day, but Judge Cranfill cut Hopkins off to prevent him from saying something incriminating.
When the judge later agreed with Pojman and set bond at $50,000 cash, Hopkins gave a sigh.
“OK. Is there any way I can get that lowered?” he asked.
“No,” Cranfill said, explaining that Hopkins would have to wait until the next hearing to address bond again.
A trial in the huffing case is currently set to start on Oct. 12. (LINK)—7/18/2017
Cody psychiatrist convicted, sent to prison for DUI crash
Matthew Hopkins began March 14, 2017, best known in the Cody area for his work as a psychiatrist. But things changed that morning, when Hopkins — high on inhalants — crashed head-on into an oncoming vehicle.
“The simple fact is that Mr. Hopkins will never be known in this community for the good work that he has done. That ship has sailed,” Hopkins’ defense attorney, Michael Bennett, said Wednesday. “He will always be known as that doctor that hit that lady.”
After a Monday-Tuesday trial, a Park County jury convicted Hopkins of a felony count of aggravated assault and battery and misdemeanor counts of driving while under the influence of a substance and unlawful use of a toxic substance.
On Wednesday morning, District Judge David Park ordered Hopkins to serve 18 to 36 months in prison for the offenses.
Bennett and some of Hopkins’ friends and associates had asked the judge to impose probation to help rehabilitate the 51-year-old. A probation and parole agent with the Wyoming Department of Corrections had also recommended probation.
“The system can help Dr. Hopkins through this time in his life. If we believe in rehabilitation, judge, we can do that without sending this man to prison — and that’s what we should do,” Bennett argued.
Deputy Park County Attorney Leda Pojman, meanwhile, asked for a six- to eight-year prison sentence. She cited Hopkins’ repeated relapses, which included drinking alcohol and purchasing inhalants while the case was pending. Despite attempts at treatment and access to help, “it just doesn’t work, your honor,” she said.
Pojman also called Hopkins’ conduct “unfathomable and appalling” for a “self-proclaimed pillar of the community,” citing reports he’d also been driving erratically when he dropped his son off at school that day.
Beyond imposing the 18- to 36-month sentence, Park did not elaborate on how he saw the case.
Though it went to trial, there was little dispute about what Hopkins did: After inhaling substances from a can of Dust-Off, Hopkins tried driving to his Cody office, but passed out and drifted over the 8th Street centerline into the wrong lane. His Toyota FJ Cruiser crashed into a Chevrolet truck driven by Jamie Bunker, knocking Bunker’s vehicle back about 15 feet.
At Wednesday’s sentencing, Bunker said she’s had continuing pain and undergone significant medical treatment. The Cody resident’s injuries have limited the work she can do and stretched her family’s finances, she said.
“I also have a hard time driving,” Bunker said, “thinking that every passing car is going to hit me.”
In her remarks, she wished Hopkins the best.
“I hope that Matthew Hopkins can get the help that he so needs,” she told Judge Park. “Because I fear that he could accidentally kill somebody — and I feel like my life is going to [possibly] be changed forever.”
A tearful Hopkins apologized, saying he would do anything he could to make amends.
“I feel so terrible about what I’ve done to you,” he told Bunker. “I’ve spent my whole life trying to help people, be a good doctor; I don’t hurt people, I help people.”
At trial, Hopkins did not contest his guilt to the DUI and unlawful use of a substance charges. The only real issue for the jury to determine was whether Hopkins had committed aggravated assault by “knowingly caus[ing] bodily injury to Jamie Bunker with a deadly weapon,” with the weapon being his Toyota.
Pojman argued that Hopkins, who she described as a “super smart doctor,” made a knowing choice to drive impaired.
“He knows the risk of huffing, but he still chose to voluntarily drive,” Pojman said.
Bennett, however, repeatedly described the aggravated assault charge as a square peg that prosecutors were trying to fit into a round hole, given the facts of the case.
“He [Hopkins] used inhalants; he’s guilty of DUI,” Bennett said. “But don’t find him guilty of aggravated assault. Don’t let them [prosecutors] do that.”
Jurors deliberated for roughly six hours before convicting Hopkins on all three counts.
Hopkins has long been an expert on addiction — through his training at Dartmouth and other locations as a psychiatrist and through personal struggles.
His medical license in New Hampshire was suspended in 2003 for writing himself prescriptions and the Wyoming Board of Medicine suspended his license from November 2011 to April 2012 for noncompliance with a monitoring program.
All license restrictions were removed in mid-2015, but a series of public relapses started in late 2016, following the death of Hopkins’ father. That November, Hopkins clipped a parked vehicle in Cody and then drove off. Prosecutors initially accused him of DUI in that case — though they later dropped it for lack of evidence — and he was awaiting a trial on that allegation when he hit Bunker.
Shortly after the March crash, Hopkins voluntarily suspended his medical license and he completed a drug treatment program in Minnesota.
However, he was re-arrested in late June 2017 after he fell on his bicycle; responding Cody police officers found his blood alcohol content was around 0.215 percent — more than two-and-a-half times the point at which a person is considered too intoxicated to drive.
“I can’t believe this happened to me,” Hopkins told a judge shortly after his arrest.
Krista Blough, a nurse practitioner who’s worked closely with Hopkins, said those remarks were a sign that “he still saw himself as a victim.”
But — after completing a different treatment program in Cheyenne last summer — Blough said there’s been a real change in his recovery.
“He understands that he’s the perpetrator, that his addiction made him the bad guy,” Blough said in court. “He did wrong and he openly admits it now for the first time in the years that I’ve known him.”
Blough urged Judge Park to put Hopkins on probation for a lengthy period of time, saying aggressive monitoring was key.
“… When he is sober, he is a productive member of society that continues to help the mental health community, that continues to be a father, a husband, a taxpayer,” she said.
She and others said Hopkins will never be able to practice as a psychiatrist again. He relinquished his Wyoming license in December and had recently been working to install sprinkler systems.
“I know addiction runs with no social class, economic class or monetary class at all and I think Matt [Hopkins] is a great example of that,” said Cindy Baldwin, a Cody businesswoman who spoke on Hopkins’ behalf. “[He’s gone from] being at the very top of his class, even one of the top citizens in Park County and in the state of Wyoming to sitting in front of you today in the state he’s sitting in front of you as — in orange, handcuffed, being taking into the courts and into jail.” (LINK)—6/21/2018
DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
10/24/2009 - Entered into consent decree to include he must enter a contract with WPAP and maintain compliance. 7/15/2011 After noncompliance Dr. Hopkins entered another Consent Decree with the Board to include a six-month stayed suspension. On November 1, 2011, after notification of non-compliance, Dr. Hopkins medical license was suspended for the six month term. The suspension shall end April 28, 2012. 7/31/2015 Dr. Hopkins petitioned the Board for removal of all restrictions and conditions related to his medical license. On July 31, 2015, the Board granted the Petition. Dr. Hopkins now has a full and unrestricted Wyoming medical license. On March 28, 2017, after his second DUI in six months, Dr. Hopkins sent notification to the Board that he would voluntarily suspend his license pending investigation. On May 17, 2017, the Board entered an Order Granting the Petition for voluntary Suspension. On August 15, 2017, through his counsel, Dr. Hopkins requested the Board to have his license voluntarily relinquished. The Board heard the matter at its October 2017 meeting and on December 26, 2017, entered an Order Accepting the Voluntary Relinquishment of Dr. Hopkins physician license.
FLORIDA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— OS9441 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—none listed as of 6/21/2018
Doctor charged for driving under influence of prescription drugs
A Fort Myers doctor is facing DUI charges after hitting three cars while under the influence of prescription drugs.
A Fort Myers doctor is facing DUI charges after hitting three cars while under the influence of prescription drugs.
Lee County Deputies arrested 46-year-old Carolyn Langford, a urologist at Specialist in Urology in Fort Myers.
According to a Lee County Sheriffs report, three cars including Langford’s had damage. The victims in the crash said they were sitting at a red light at an intersection on Metro Parkway and Six Mile Cypress when Langford’s car hit the back of a vehicle causing a chain reaction.
The report also states when deputies arrived Langford was out of her Bentley swaying and almost falling over.
Deputies then asked Langford if she had been drinking, she told them no, but she was on several medications prescribed to her.
Deputies then conducted several sobriety tests where they state she was having difficulty standing. Langford was booked in jail where she was given a urine test coming back positive for depressants and stimulants.
We went to Langfords office for comment on Tuesday, but her staff told us she was busy all day in surgery.
NBC2 also spoke with her lawyer on the phone, who said they had no comment at this time.
The Florida Department of Health shows that her medical license is clear. (LINK)—6/19/2018
KENTUCKY MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 22810 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—None listed as of 6/21/2018
Corbin Doctor Charged With False Imprisonment In Florida
OCALA, Fla. (WESH/LEX 18) — A Kentucky doctor and two others have been arrested in connection to an alleged assault and false imprisonment at a Florida hotel.
Authorities say the incident happened around 6 p.m. Friday at the Holiday Inn on Southwest 38th Avenue.
Police told LEX 18 sister station WESH they received multiple calls that a woman was begging for help from a hotel balcony. Witnesses told authorities the woman claimed she was being held against her will.
At the scene, authorities say they found a 25-year-old woman severely beaten and suffering from head trauma.
According to WESH, officers arrested 65-year-old Morris Beebe, of London, Kentucky; 37-year-old Stacy Gonzalez, and 27-year-old Devon McDougal-Stegall.
Beebe is charged with principal to false imprisonment. Gonzalez and McDougal-Stegall are charged with aggravated battery and false imprisonment.
Police say this was not a random attack and that the suspects and victim knew each other.
LEX 18 reached out to Baptist Health in Corbin, which employs Beebe.
“Dr. Morris Beebe has been suspended pending further investigation,“ said a hospital spokesperson. "No other details are available at this time.” (LINK)—6/20/2018
Doctor allegedly had heroin, syringes and and crack pipes. Now he can’t prescribe.
A Corbin physician has been barred from prescribing drugs after being arrested on charges of possessing cocaine and heroin.
The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure released an emergency order Friday restricting the license of Dr. Morris Wilson Beebe III.
The order said Beebe is a gastroenterologist. It lists a practice address in Corbin but court records list his home address as London.
Police in Wilder, which is in Northern Kentucky, arrested Beebe, 66, on Aug. 26 after allegedly seeing items used to take drugs in a car he was driving.
A police officer said in a citation that he saw Beebe and a woman in a car outside a convenience store at 3:30 a.m.
After Beebe and the woman went in the store, the officer looked in the car and saw syringes, which can be used to inject drugs such as heroin, in the floor and a glass pipe, which can be used to smoke drugs, in the ashtray, according to a citation.
The officer, Jake Zink, said he stopped Beebe as he started to drive out of the parking lot.
Zink said in the citation that he found one syringe loaded with a brown liquid, two baggies containing white powder, small amounts of marijuana and crack cocaine, 15 to 20 syringes and 15 to 50 crack pipes.
Beebe denied the drugs and paraphernalia were his. The woman police had seen with Beebe wasn’t in the car and police didn’t find her.
He was indicted in early November on charges of possessing cocaine, heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Beebe has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If a doctor is indicted on a felony charge related to drugs, state law says his or her practice is to be considered a danger to the public and a KBML official shall issue an emergency order restricting or suspending the doctor’s license, according to the order released Friday.
The order against Beebe bars him from prescribing or dispensing drugs until the disciplinary case is resolved.
One of Beebe’s attorneys in the criminal case said in court documents that Beebe is in a drug treatment program.
Beebe has been licensed as a doctor in Kentucky since 1983, according to a state record. (LINK)—11/30/2018
OHIO MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 35.054145 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—none listed as of 6/21/2018
Breast cancer survivor fights Cleveland Clinic over surgery results
A woman who underwent a double mastectomy at Cleveland Clinic woke up to cosmetic results she says she did not consent to.
We want to warn you, some of the video footage and photos in our story is of a graphic nature.
Kim Bowles just wants her voice to be heard.
She’s speaking out, she says, to make sure this doesn’t happen to other women.
But the hospital has another side to the story.
Last week, the Pittsburgh woman staged a sit-in at the Cleveland Clinic CEO’s office.
She broadcast it live on Facebook.
“It is a non-violent protest,” she told the security guard as she took off her shirt in the office.
Kim Bowles, 37, sat there bare-chested, more than a year after a double mastectomy.
“I’m going to be sitting in the CEO’s office until the CEO speaks with me and tells me that this is not going to happen to other women,” Bowles said to the security guard.
This was on the day of her last appointment at Cleveland Clinic for breast cancer treatment.
Bowles never saw the CEO, just security and police instead.
“So he’s telling me now that he’s going to arrest me because I’m criminally trespassing,” she said in the video.
Kim did not get arrested that day.
She promised her husband she would make it home to their kids, 2-year-old Sammy and 4-year-old Timmy.
Two years ago, breast cancer turned their lives upside down.
Doctors told her the tumor was stage 3.
“I was diagnosed while I was breastfeeding my second baby, she was 10 months old,” Bowles said.
After chemo, Kim decided to go to Cleveland Clinic for surgery because of the hospital’s reputation as one of the top in the nation.
Before her double mastectomy, she made a big decision. She did not want reconstruction.
“So I brought a plastic surgeon onto the team to make it look nice. To make it look neat and tidy and flat and smooth,” Bowles said.
She had two consultations with plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Bernard.
“So I wanted to be flat. He said, ‘ok, we’ll make you flat,’” she said.
Kim provided us with her official medical files from the consultation.
They say “she is however interested in having a smooth flat result on her chest.”
Dr. Bernard goes on to say, "she also acknowledges that at a later date she may wish to undergo reconstruction and knows that this will affect that ultimately.”
Kim says she couldn’t rule it out 100 percent. But if she did reconstruction, she said it would be years down the road.
On the day of surgery, she was put under anesthesia.
“They wheeled me into the OR, they put the IV in. And as I was lying there, I heard him say, I’ll just leave a little extra in case you change your mind,’” Bowles said, talking about Dr. Bernard.
“It was so upsetting at the time and then I conked out. And I woke up, and I was afraid to look under the bandages, and I finally did look, and it was clear that he made no attempt to make me flat at all. There are clear pockets for implants,” she said.
After the surgery, Bowles says Dr. Bernard told her to give it a few months to “tighten up.”
“He had one job, to make me flat, and he didn’t do it, and he did it on purpose. Against my consent. I said no,” she said.
Cleveland19 went to Cleveland Clinic for answers.
A spokesperson sent us this statement:
“Taking care of patients is our top priority. In this instance, Ms. Bowles chose to have a double mastectomy after having chemotherapy for her tumor. Per her wishes, she opted not to have further surgical revisions that are common for patients who have had mastectomies. The physicians involved in her care have outstanding reputations and are highly skilled. We conducted three thorough reviews relating to her concerns and shared with her that it was determined every aspect of her care was done optimally to give her the safest amount of extra skin to prevent jeopardizing her arm movement.”
Cleveland Clinic says the extra skin was not for possible breast implants, but again to preserve the movement of her arm.
A spokesperson points out the hospital responded to Kim’s complaints in April, May and July of 2017.
Dr. Steven Bernard, who performed the surgery, is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars, with over 100 patient reviews on Cleveland Clinic’s website.
About half of his patients come to him for breast reconstruction.
“It’s important for them to feel, when they’re done with all this, they’re still going to be whole. They’re going to be a whole person,” Dr. Bernard says in a video under his biography on the website.
But Kim says she gave the plastic surgeon pictures of what she wanted to look like.
She insists at no point did Dr. Bernard make any mention of leaving extra skin for range of motion.
“Whatever the reason though, I’m a competent adult, I made the decision. I did not consent to what he did to me,” Bowles said.
Back at home in Pittsburgh, Kim read us the letter she wrote to the hospital’s CEO.
She doesn’t know if he ever got it.
“I am truly disturbed that this happened. The reason I came to Cleveland Clinic for my surgery is because I expected to get excellent care,” she said.
Kim may be cured of cancer right now, but her fight is not over.
“The scars don’t even bother me. The lack of breast doesn’t even bother me. Seeing the remnants that I know he left there on purpose, and I had no control and I couldn’t protect myself because I was unconscious,” she said.
“It’s honestly been the most emotionally upsetting thing about the cancer thing because cancer is nobody’s fault. That’s just a crapshoot. This was totally avoidable,” she said.
Kim says she is not looking for money, that she came forward to help other women.
“If this keeps happening to women and I do nothing, that’s on my shoulders,” she said.
Kim is happy with the doctor who performed her mastectomy.
She says she has to wait a year to undergo surgery with another doctor to fix the results.
We want to point out, Cleveland Clinic now has a different CEO than the one Kim originally wrote her letter to.
What you need to know before surgery
Cleveland19 reached out to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons for advice.
We spoke to Dr. David H. Song, a professor and chairman of the department of plastic surgery at Georgetown University.
He says if a breast cancer patient wants any reconstruction at all, even years in the future, a plastic surgeon will leave excess skin.
But if the patient asks to go flat, a general surgeon can handle that.
Dr. Song recommends you come prepared with questions for your doctor before surgery.
You should meet with your doctor at least twice before then.
He says you should take notes from the surgeon, and bring a family member who can help you remember what’s discussed.
Lastly, if you don’t feel 100 percent comfortable with your doctor you can ask for a new one. (LINK)—6/20/2018
CALIFORNIA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 127017 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—no actions listed as of 6/19/2018
Prosecutor: Doc hired by VA sexually assaulted four female patients
Four female patients from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs were sexually assaulted by an Oceanside physician who was arrested on Wednesday, authorities say.
Out on a $150,000 bond, Dr. Edgar Manzanera is slated to be arraigned on Wednesday afternoon in California Superior Court’s North County Regional Center in Vista on four separate felony counts of sexually penetrating the women with a foreign object.
A physician contracted by VA to review pension disability claims, Manzanera also is accused of violating the state’s professional code for health providers by allegedly making sexual contact with his patients.
“If there are any other potential victims, please contact the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office,” said deputy prosecutor Dan Owens during a telephone interview on Monday.
Manzanera did not return a Union-Tribune message left with a woman at his home on Monday.
The case was investigated by VA’s Office of Inspector General and the Medical Board of California following a sexual assault report made to the Oceanside Police Department nearly two years ago by a former service woman who had gone to VA to seek disability pension benefits.
Manzanera’s arrest came two days before one of his former patients filed a series of lawsuits in state and federal courts against the doctor, the VA and his former employer, QTC Medical Services.
The San Diego Union-Tribune does not name alleged victims of sexual assault. They’re identified in the criminal complaint as Jane Does 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The lawsuits filed in Vista and Arizona claim that Manzanera committed sexual battery against the plaintiff and falsely imprisoned her inside the QTC clinic at 2204 S. El Camino Real in Oceanside on June 15, 2016 while he was alone with her in his examination room.
Although there was no medical reason for her to get naked, Manzanera allegedly told the military veteran to take off her clothes and don a medical gown and lift it over her head for an examination, according to the complaint filed in California Superior Court.
“He then told her to hold her gown up higher; and then higher again until she was holding it so high that it was over her head, and she could not see what he was doing,” the complaint states.
The doctor’s actions allegedly scratched and bruised her, leading to severe physical and mental injuries that left her in pain, humiliated, sad, fearful and distressed, according to the lawsuit.
Assigned to Judge Jacqueline M. Stern, the lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary and punitive damages against both Manzanera and QTC. The Arizona case targets the Veterans Benefits Administration, part of the larger VA system.
Acquired in 2016 by defense contractor Leidos, QTC was awarded a $6.8 billion nationwide contract by the VA last August to handle disability exams for separating and retiring military members.
Citing the pending litigation and ongoing criminal investigation, Leidos officials declined comment.
It’s unclear whether Manzanera continues to see patients.
Although QTC employees in Oceanside said he no longer is employed there, the state’s Medical Board has yet to rule on his case.
His medical license issued in 2013 remains valid through Aug. 31, 2019, according to the state.
The board lists his address as a post office box in San Luis Rey and indicates the physician and surgeon graduated from Guatemala’s Francisco Marroquin University Faculty of Medicine in 2008.
Neither California Medical Board nor VA officials returned messages from the Union-Tribune on Monday. (LINK)—6/18/2018
PENNSYLVANIA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— OS014608 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—none listed as of 6/19/2018
Pennsylvania man arrested on gun charges at Trump International Hotel in D.C.
Metropolitan Police early Wednesday arrested a Pennsylvania man at the Trump International Hotel who had two firearms and ammunition in his car, officials said.
Working on a tip that a man with gun was driving a car to the Trump hotel, police officers arrested Bryan Moles, 43, of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, around 1 a.m. after he had checked into a room. Officers found an AR-15 assault rifle, a 40-caliber handgun and 90 rounds of ammunition in the suspect’s car, according to police charging documents.
Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham said that Pennsylvania State Police alerted the D.C. police force around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday to the tip.
D.C. police and the Secret Service alerted hotel staffers, who found the suspect’s vehicle in the parking garage. Officers arrested Mr. Moles quickly and without incident or use of force, Chief Newsham said at a press conference at police headquarters.
Mr. Moles was charged with carrying a handgun without a license and possession of unregistered ammunition. Officers said they saw one of the suspect’s firearms in plain view in his vehicle.
The Secret Service said in a statement: “Early this morning, Special Agents from the Secret Service Washington Field Office and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department investigated a report of a potential threat against Secret Service protectees. The Secret Service received information from a concerned citizen and Trump International Hotel Security staff. An individual was subsequently located at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. Agents and officers recovered a semi-automatic assault style rifle and a handgun in the individual’s vehicle.” (LINK)—5/31/2017
Bryan Moles: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Bryan Moles. (Facebook)
Bryan Moles, a Pennsylvania veteran who has worked as a physician, is accused of keeping guns and ammo in his car outside the Trump International Hotel, where he was staying in Washington D.C.
A police report said that Moles has been placed under arrest after the cache of weapons was discovered on May 31.
It’s not clear why Moles had the weaponry or why he was staying at the Trump property. The D.C. police chief said in a news conference that police and a tipster may have averted a potential “disaster.” However, the Secret Service said it had determined that Moles “posed no immediate threat to any Secret Service protectees.” You can read the police report below.
“The best way to prevent a disaster is when you see something, say something,” the police chief, Peter Newsham, said. However, in a statement, the Secret Service said, “At no time were any Secret Service protectees at risk.” You can watch the news conference here.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Officers Saw a Firearm in Plain View in Moles’ Car, a Report Alleges & Moles Recently Posted About the Trump Hotel
The police report is pretty brief, but it does describe what police allegedly found in Moles’ car.
“On the listed date…members of the First District received information that S-1 would have possession of the listed firearms,” the report says. “While on scene officers observed the listed firearm in plain view in S-1’s vehicle with a secondary firearm located S-1’s glove box. S-1 was placed under arrest and charged with Carrying a Pistol without a License CPWL and transported to the First District for processing.”
The report lists a Glock, Carbin 15 Bushmaster, ammo, and .223. ABC7 reported that one weapon found was an assault rifle, and Moles allegedly had 90 rounds of ammo.
In the news conference, the chief said that Moles was arrested without incident or use of force. “We will do a thorough investigation if we can get to the motive as to why this guy was coming to the District of Columbia… I was very concerned by this circumstance,” Newsham said.
Authorities said that Moles’ car was located in the Trump hotel’s parking garage. The MPD explosives unit was called to the scene but found no hazardous materials.
On Facebook, Moles had recently posted about the Trump hotel, although the comment was cryptic.
Moles asked in the post whether people preferred the Trump Hotel or the Hilton and referred to Trump as Darth Vader and the boss.
2. Moles Reportedly Is a Military Veteran Who Likes Trump & Who Trains K9s
Bryan Moles. (Facebook)
Early reports are that Moles is a Trump supporter. He did post some anti-Hillary Clinton memes on his Facebook page, although his posts about Trump are more cryptic.
Moles also used the name Jake Steed on social media.
Moles did make a post with a gun, although many of his posts involve innocuous things like cooking.
(Facebook)
He also posted this:
And this:
(Facebook)
According to ABC 7, “Moles reportedly told police he is a military veteran and suffers from PTSD and that he stayed at the hotel because he likes President Trump. It’s unclear if he posed any threat.”
Moles did post a link to a GoFundMe page for a fundraiser for a K-9 service that says, “Finest Bloodlines, Built to Work. Veteran Owned and Operated. 100% Non-Profit. All Dogs go to Vets and First Responders and others with PTSD. Extensive Screening Required.”
The police chief would not confirm the report about Moles liking Trump, though. When asked to explain why the Secret Service is saying that there is no immediate threat to protectees but the chief thinks a disaster may have been averted, Newsham said it was a “peculiar circumstance” and stressed that Moles allegedly traveled to D.C. with weapons without a good reason to be in the city.
However, the chief said that authorities don’t have enough evidence to charge Moles with making threats. “I believe our officers and the tipster coming forward averted a potential disaster,” Newsham alleged all the same.
The chief said that Moles was sharing information with authorities, although Newsham was not specific.
On Facebook, Moles wrote that he is lead Trainer and Therapist at Boro K9 and Service, an FMF Corpsman at Camp Lejeune, and said that he studied Biochemistry at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He said he is married and from Brooklyn, New York.
3. Moles Was a Doctor in Pennsylvania & Police in That State Received a Tip That He Was Headed to D.C.
Bryan Moles. (Facebook)
Moles hails from a town in Pennsylvania called Edinboro. He is 43-years-old, according to police. Edinboro is a small college town of just over 6,000 people near Erie. According to The Associated Press, “Moles is a physician who practices emergency medicine at a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania.”
The original tip was made to Pennsylvania State Police, who alerted the D.C. police and Secret Service that Moles was headed to D.C. with weapons, according to Newsham. He said that Pennsylvania State police reacted very quickly and provided the suspect’s name and a description of his vehicle.
4. The Trump Hotel Released a Statement That Accused Moles of Acting ‘Suspiciously’
Bryan Moles. (Facebook)
Although it’s still not clear what threat, if any, Moles allegedly posed, the Trump hotel was taking no chances.
“We take the safety and security of guests very seriously. It is our first priority,” the statement read. “This morning, the authorities arrested a guest who was behaving suspiciously. The matter is under investigation therefore it would be inappropriate for us to provide additional details. Please refer your inquiry to the investigating authorities.”
The D.C. mayor called it a “disturbing incident that occurred in the nation’s capital last night but was resolved” quickly and peacefully.
There was a report of a firearm “inside a vehicle of a hotel guest,” she said in the May 31 news conference. The mayor said the Secret Service helped coordinate with police. The mayor said authorities take it seriously when “anyone threatens harm in our city,” although she stopped short of saying that Moles had done so.
The Secret Service said the investigation was ongoing.
5. Trump’s Security Has Been a Concern
Protecting any president is a tall order. However, the tense climate surrounding Trump’s persona has compounded concerns. Already during Trump’s short presidency, a series of people have jumped or tried to jump the White House fence. (LINK)—5/31/2017
Edinboro doctor to plead in Trump hotel gun case
Bryan Moles, charged in Washington, D.C., in May 2017, has been undergoing mental-health treatment and is in line to get a sentence of time served, according to court records.
A yearlong federal prosecution is coming to a close in the case of an Edinboro doctor arrested with two guns and 90 rounds of ammunition in May 2017 at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Bryan Moles, D.O., 44, who has been undergoing mental health treatment, is scheduled to enter a plea on Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to court records.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is requesting that Moles, an emergency-room physician for 10 years, receive a sentence of time served plus probation, according to defense filings in the case.
The government’s filings describe Moles as a Navy veteran with a history of mental illness and drug abuse. Moles in the case had to undergo a mental-health evaluation, which determined that he was competent to stand trial.
Moles has been in prison since June 15, 2017. Upon his release after sentencing, he “will return to his home in Pennsylvania and plans to receive mentalhealth treatment at a local hospital,” according to the defense filings.
Police in Washington arrested Moles on May 31, 2017, after authorities received a tip about him making threats and driving his BMW to Washington to see the president at the White House, according to charging documents. The tip originated with a resident of Cambridge Springs, who told the Cambridge Springs Police Department, which relayed the tip to the state police, which informed police in Washington.
The charging documents say that Moles told an acquaintance that he was driving to see the president. Moles is also accused of saying Moles “was a refugee intent on bringing down big pharmacy and big business medicine” and that he had survival supplies and enough ammunition to make his car resemble Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh “on a camping trip.”
Also according to the charging documents, Moles told police “that he has post-traumatic stress disorder related to his time in military service, and that he was unable to take anti-psychotic medications because they made him suicidal.”
Moles was arrested at the Trump International Hotel shortly after police started their investigation at 12:36 a.m. on May 31, 2017, according to court records. Moles had checked into the hotel.
Moles was indicted on felony charges of unlawful transportation of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm by a person who is the unlawful user of a controlled substance. Authorities said he was not licensed to carry a gun in the District of Columbia, which has strict gun laws.
Police in Washington seized a Glock 23 pistol and a Carbon 15 Bushmaster rifle, along with 30 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and 60 rounds of .223 ammunition, according to the charging documents. The U.S. Attorney’s Office described the Bushmaster in court records as “an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle.”
Authorities as part of the investigation also searched Moles’ residence in Edinboro. Items seized included “five long firearms, a machete and ammunition, as well as drug paraphernalia,” according to court records. Moles was not charged in connection with that search.
After serving in the military for 14 years, Moles graduated from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2006, according to court records. Moles had worked at UPMC Horizon Greenville and Shenango Valley but was on administrative leave when he was arrested, officials have said. Moles in 2014 worked in the emergency room at Corry Memorial Hospital.
His medical license with the state is still listed as active with no disciplinary action. The license, on file with the Pennsylvania Department of State, expires on Oct. 31.
After his arrest in May 2017, Moles was released until his trial but ordered to participate in a mental-health evaluation and treatment at a Veterans Affairs facility in Georgia. He was discharged on June 12, 2017.
He was taken back into custody on June 15, 2017, and has remained in prison since then. Authorities said Moles on June 15, 2017, returned to Washington, which he was prohibited from doing upon his release, and posted Facebook photos of newspaper headlines describing the shooting at a congressional baseball practice on June 14, 2017.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington said Moles returned to Washington “apparently to purchase and consume drugs,” according to court records. The office pushed to have Moles remain in prison during the prosecution of the case, and the office successfully asked that Moles receive the mental-health evaluation to determine his competency.
In arguing for the evaluation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Friedman wrote in court papers that Moles “was seen at two different hospital emergency rooms in Pennsylvania for psychological evaluation” two weeks before he was arrested at the Trump International Hotel.
Friedman also wrote that Moles’ relatives and friends said they were concerned about his mental state, and that Moles had told a close acquaintance that “he is being recruited by the CIA or militant organizations.”
And Friedman wrote that on May 30, 2017, the day before Moles was arrested, Moles told an acquaintance in voicemail messages that “cars along the road were communicating with him through the colors of their paint.” In one message, Friedman wrote, Moles said: “When I see a red car, it means ‘pay attention.’ When I see silver, it means ‘we’re good.’” (LINK)—6/18/2018
Edinboro doctor pleads guilty in Trump hotel gun case
Bryan Moles is to be sentenced Sept. 7 in Washington, D.C.
An emergency-room doctor from Edinboro pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge related to him showing up with a semi-automatic pistol, an AR-15-style rifle and 90 rounds of ammunition in May 2017 at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The defendant, Bryan Moles, D.O., 44, who has received mental health treatment since his arrest, will face a sentence in the guideline range of six months to two years in federal prison at his sentencing Sept. 7 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington, D.C.
Moles remains incarcerated, and the defense has asked that he be sentenced to time served in prison plus probation, according to court records.
Moles pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license in Washington, D.C., which has strict gun-control laws.
Moles was also indicted on a charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of a controlled substance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office dismissed that count as a part of a plea deal, but presented all the original allegations against Moles in the proffer that he accepted on Tuesday at the plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon.
Moles, a Navy veteran and an emergency-room physician for 10 years, has been in prison since June 15, 2017.
Police in Washington arrested Moles on May 31, 2017, after authorities received a tip about him making threats and driving his BMW to Washington to see the president at the White House, according to charging documents. The tip originated with a resident of Cambridge Springs.
Moles had checked into the Trump International Hotel when police arrested him. Police seized a Glock 23 pistol and a Carbon 15 Bushmaster rifle, which he had in his car, along with 30 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and 60 rounds of .223 ammunition, according to the charging documents.
Moles told police that he had brought the guns to Washington, D.C., and that “he self-medicated with marijuana,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The office said police found marijuana and a vaporizer smoking device in his hotel room.
Moles saw himself as “a refugee intent on bringing down big pharmacy and big business medicine,” the authorities said Moles told an acquaintance, according to the charging documents. Moles also said, according to the documents, that he had survival supplies and enough ammunition to make his car resemble Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh “on a camping trip.”
After serving in the military for 14 years, Moles graduated from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2006, according to court records. Moles had worked at UPMC Horizon Greenville and Shenango Valley but was on administrative leave when he was arrested, officials have said. Moles in 2014 worked in the emergency room at Corry Memorial Hospital. (LINK)—7/03/2018
Edinboro doctor’s license suspended in Trump hotel case
Bryan Moles, D.O., pled guilty to a charge related to him showing up at Trump International Hotel with guns and ammunition.
A physician from Edinboro who admitted to showing up at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., with a semi-automatic pistol, AR-15-style rifle and ammunition had his medical license temporarily suspended by the Pennsylvania Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
The suspension was granted on the grounds Moles “presents a clear and immediate danger to the public health and safety,” according to a legal notice published in Friday’s Erie Times-News.
Bryan Moles, D.O., 48, is incarcerated after pleading guilty to a charge of carrying a pistol without a license. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 7 in U.S. District Court in Washington and faces a sentence in the guideline range of six months to two years in federal prison.
The license suspension took effect Wednesday. A preliminary hearing concerning Moles’ license will be held within 30 days, according to documents from the board’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.
Moles, who has worked as an emergency medicine physician at several hospitals in the region, was arrested on May 31, 2017, after authorities received a tip about him making threats and driving his BMW to Washington to see President Donald Trump at the White House.
Moles had checked into the Trump International Hotel when police arrested him. He told them he had brought the guns and ammunition to Washington and that “he self-medicated with marijuana,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Police found marijuana and a vaporizer in Moles’ hotel room.
Moles also said he had survival supplies and enough ammunition to make his car resemble Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh “on a camping trip,” according to charging documents.
Moles has received mental-health treatment since his arrest. (LINK)—8/24/2018
TENNESSEE MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 28298 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—License to be placed on suspension with terms as of June 2, 2018 for no less than 60 days; assessed civil penalties in the amount of $10,000.00 plus costs not to exceed $50,000.00Unprofessional and unethical conduct; ignorance, negligence, or competence in the course of medical practice, which is grounds for disciplinary action against Respondent’s license to practice as a medical doctor in the State of Tennessee…and violation of the standard of care also constituting grounds for disciplinary action against the Respondent’s license to practice as a medical doctor in the State of Tennessee
Psychiatrist spanked patients with whips, riding crops, and called them ‘mules,’ officials say
A Memphis psychiatrist has been forced to close her office for two months and potentially lose her medical license for good after it was discovered she spanked at least 10 patients with whips and riding crops and sometimes compared them to mules.
Dr. Valerie Louise Augustus, who has led Christian Psychiatrist Services for 17 years, was found to have used a riding crop – a thin whip normally used to strike horses – on the buttocks of a patient in 2015, according to Tennessee medical discipline documents that were made public on Friday.
The patient, who had a history of physical abuse, was suffering from depression and struggling with suicidal thoughts, documents state.
An investigation by state authorities also found that Augustus had “made contact with other mental health patients with a riding crop, whip or other object.” The documents also state that Augustus kept both a riding crop and a whip “displayed in her office” and “compared her patients to mules.”
The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners suspended Augustus license after determining there was “no evidence” in psychiatrist literature for using whips or riding crops as an effective part of treatment. The board suspended her medical license for no less than 60 days, starting in June. To get her license back, Augustus will be required to take a two-day class on “medical ethics, boundaries and professionalism” and be cleared by the Vanderbilt Comprehensive Assessment Program, which examines professionals who are having emotional or behavioral issues in the workplace.
If the program clears Augustus, she can then petition the board to get her license back. If it is restored, she will start a probationary term of 3 years.
Augustus was also fined $10,000 – $1,000 for each patient she struck – according to board documents.
Augustus could not immediately be reached for comment. Calls to her clinic were unanswered, and a voicemail said Augustus was unavailable and clinic would be closed for June and July. The clinic’s website said Augustus was on “personal leave.”
Augustus’ clinic has previously been named the top mental health practice in the Memphis area by The Commercial Appeal, a USA TODAY Network newspaper.
Augustus’ discipline was revealed through a monthly announcement by the Tennessee Department of Health, which maintains public records on licenses for doctors, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists and other health care professionals throughout the state. More than 100 disciplinary actions were included in the latest monthly report. (LINK)—
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