CCMH files suit, says psychiatrist trashed apartment

As seen in the News Record of Gillette, Wyoming.

A former Campbell County Memorial Hospital psychiatrist who is charged with identity theft is now facing a lawsuit from his former employer because he allegedly damaged the furnished apartment he subleased from the hospital.

The hospital sued Lyndon Keith Steinhaus, 47, Thursday in Campbell County District Court to try and get him to pay for $15,000 in damages they say he caused to the apartment. They are also asking for punitive damages, attorneys fees and court costs.

“(Steinhaus) has caused significant damage to the premises, including knife cuts in the furniture, stains on the furniture and the carpet, holes in the wall, knocking a door off its hinges and other significant damages to the premises,” the court documents allege.

Investigators contacted Steinhaus Nov. 30 to investigate reports that he used his ex-wife's identity to withdraw money from her account and to buy his girlfriend a tennis bracelet.

When investigators arrived, they found that his apartment was “a disaster,” according to charging documents that noted food strewn on the walls, floor and ceiling.

Darcy Jo Bogenrief, a lawyer who's Steinhaus' 41-year-old girlfriend, told investigators that he'd been drunk the past couple days and that he'd been out of control. Bogenrief, like Steinhaus, is facing felony charges of identity theft and conspiracy to commit identity theft.

Donald Percifield, who owns the apartment and leases it to the hospital, said the apartment was “just trashed” when he saw it. Garbage, beer cans and cigarette butts were all over the floors. Just about every wall had a hole in it. And something that looked like spaghetti sauce appeared to have been slopped on the walls.

“I've rented to supposedly lower-class people, and I've never had damage like this,” Percifield said. “It was unreal.”

Tom Lubnau, the hospital's attorney, said he could not comment on the case because of ethical prohibitions against talking about a case in progress.

Jeremy Michaels, Steinhaus' attorney, had not yet received notice of the case at press time and did not want to comment until he'd had a chance to review the accusations.