Psychiatrist Settles Pleads Guilty and Settles Civil Claims

As seen on the Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

Background

A few months ago, an Illinois psychiatrist was suspended indefinitely from practicing because of his alleged abuse of an antipsychotic drug called clozapine. Dr. Michael J. Reinstein prescribed clozapine to more than half of his patients at nursing homes as well as mental health facilities. Clozapine is used to keep patients sedated when they become irritable or violent – many of them suffer from dementia or other ailments, and antipsychotic drugs such as clozapine are used to hold them down. Such drugs can be considered an unacceptable form of chemical restraint that advocates have fought against in recent years in favor of more humane methods that avoid drug dependency.

Constant drug use by patients as prescribed can put them in a stupor and can hasten their mental and/or physical demise. Clozapine adversely affects the immune system by diminishing white blood cells, and can cause heart inflammation, seizures, and problems with the blood, as well as dizziness and lightheadedness. As we profiled earlier in this space, clozapine itself is one of the most dangerous types of antipsychotic medications, and is considered “a risky drug of last resort.” Historically, Dr. Reinstein was alleged to have prescribed more clozapine in a single year (2007) than all medical providers in the large state of Texas combined, and has had patients die in the past while on substantial doses of clozapine.

Charges, Guilty Plea and Settlement

Reinstein was also accused of taking about $350,000 in kickbacks, including gifts (like travel and dinners) from a clozapine manufacturer, Teva Pharmaceuticals, which is against the law. Teva already settled with the government over those kickback allegations. The government also sued Reinstein for taking kickbacks to prescribe clozapine, and for submitting possibly more than 140,000 false claims (overbilling) for reimbursement for these treatments from the federally funded programs Medicare and Medicaid. This type of Medicare/Medicaid fraud is prosecuted civilly and criminally under the False Claims Act, and such allegations are very serious. In recent news, Reinstein, already dealing with a suspended license and a civil suit from the government for taking kickbacks and committing medication fraud, has been charged criminally by the United States for taking kickbacks from the clozapine drug maker.

As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the criminal charges have been brought on a single kickback worth $2,000, but the government was reportedly looking to take back approximately $600,000 worth of “ill-gotten gains stemming from clozapine prescriptions.” Just days ago, Reinstein pled guilty to the federal charge of accepting kickbacks for prescribing clozapine against the Medicare and Medicaid Anti-Kickback Statute. His sentencing date is as yet unscheduled, but the please agreement includes a recommendation of 18.5 months behind bars. Along with the guilty plea, Reisnstein settled the civil case with both the Justice Department and the State of Illinois (which later joined the federal government in that suit) for $3.79 million, settling claims that he accepted kickbacks to prescribe clozapine and then submitted an astounding amount of false claims for reimbursement.

Takeaway

This case demonstrates the importance of cracking down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud, as well as companies and medical providers engaging in kickback schemes. This is an illegal way to “get rich” at the expense of patients who are not prescribed what they need or do not receive the appropriate treatment because doctors are prescribing medications as part of the kickback scheme. This case also highlights the abuse of federal taxpayer dollars through reimbursement claims. And above all, it puts the spotlight on the abuse of medications for chemical restraints, and how we must continue moving toward alternative methods.

Psychiatrist William Lewek Pleads Guilty to Hiding Matthew Straton's Body

As reported by Time Warner Cable News in Rochester, NY.

A guilty plea today from the Rochester psychiatrist accused of hiding the body of Matthew Straton in his backyard.

William Lewek, 62, pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence and driving while ability impaired.

Lewek was arrested in January of 2014 after investigators found the body of Matthew Straton partially buried in the backyard of his Rowley Street home. Straton dissappeared in October of 2013. Today's plea follows months of legal proceedings including an application for Lewek to enroll in a Judicial Diversion Program for drug treatment.

The trial was scheduled to begin Monday.

Chicago psychiatrist pleads guilty to taking drug kickbacks

As reported by ABC channel 7 in Chicago

A long-time Chicago psychiatrist pleaded guilty Friday to receiving illegal kickbacks and benefits totaling nearly $600,000 from pharmaceutical companies in exchange for prescribing an anti-psychotic drug to his patients.

Dr. Michael J. Reinstein, 71, of Skokie, has also agreed to pay $3.79 million to settle a civil lawsuit alleging that he caused the submission of at least 140,000 false Medicare and Medicaid claims for the thousands of patients he prescribed Clozapine to in nursing homes and other facilities in exchange for kickbacks.

"The defendant put his patients at great risk of serious health problems to benefit his personal interests at taxpayer expense," said Attorney General Lisa Madigan, whose office handled the civil litigation.

Reinstein's plea agreement calls for the government to recommend a sentence of 18.5 months in prison when he is sentenced.

Mount Carmel psychiatrist Andrew Newton pleads guilty to Medicare fraud

As reported on NewsItem.com

A Mount Carmel psychiatrist accused of fraudulently billing Medicare for psychotherapy sessions that didn't happen has pleaded guilty to the charges in federal court Nov. 25.

Dr. Andrew Newton, 42, of Harrisburg, the owner-operator of the Newton Psychiatric Clinic, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft or embezzlement in connection with health care in the Nov. 25 court appearance.

Following the plea, U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson ordered a presentence investigation to be completed by Dec. 23, but Newton's attorneys asked for a continuance, which was granted on Dec. 1. The report must be completed and published on or before Jan. 20, 2015.

Authorities alleged Newton billed Medicare for a face-to-face psychotherapy services with patients in Pennsylvania when Newton was out of the country.

The U.S. Government alleged Newton billed Medicare for three patients Aug. 18, 2010, and for patients Sept. 2 and Sept. 3, 2010, when the doctor was in France, and Nov. 29, 2011, when Newton was in England.

Newton "did knowingly and willfully embezzle, steal and convert to his own use" a total of $322.75 from the fraudulent billing, a past release stated.

A plea agreement reached said Newton will plead guilty to all six of the misdemeanor charges, and the government will not bring any other criminal charges related to the offenses, with the exception of criminal tax charges.

In this case, Newton faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison, a term of supervised release following the imprisonment and a fine.

The plea agreement also states that Newton agrees to make full restitution of $20,000, plus $75,000 payable to the Medicare Trust Fund.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Williamsport Office.

Anchorage psychiatrist changes his plea to guilty in Medicaid fraud case

As Reported on KTUU



(I have edited their report for purposes of clean up errors, typos, etc)

Anchorage psychiatrist Dr. Shubu Ghosh has changed his plea in a case of fraudulently billing Medicaid and tampering with evidence. Dr. Shubu Ghosh has plead guilty to billing Medicaid more than $1 million for services he never performed. He said he was guilty for falsifying records in an attempt to cover up the improper billing. Ghosh founded Gosh Psychiatric Services and was arrested in April of this year. His sentencing is set for April of next year, and he could spend one to three and a half years in jail and pay a fine of up to $50 thousand.

Miami-Area Psychiatric Hospital Chief Operating Officer Christopher Gabel Pleads Guilty in $67 Million Mental Health Care Fraud Scheme

As reported in the Imperial Valley News

The former chief operating officer of a Miami-area hospital pleaded guilty today for his role in a mental health care fraud scheme that resulted in the submission of more than $67 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare by a state-licensed psychiatric hospital located in Hollywood, Florida, that purported to offer both inpatient and outpatient mental health services.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Derrick Jackson of the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Florida region made the announcement.

Christopher Gabel, 61, of Davie, Florida, the former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hollywood Pavilion LLC (HP), pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive health care kickbacks. Gabel was charged in an indictment returned on May 8, 2014.

According to Gabel’s admissions in connection with his guilty plea, between April 2003 and September 2012, HP submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for treatment that was not medically necessary or not provided to patients. As COO during that time, Gabel supervised HP’s staff at both its inpatient and outpatient facilities, where Medicare beneficiaries were admitted to HP regardless of whether they qualified for mental health treatment, and were often admitted before seeing a doctor.

Gabel admitted that HP obtained Medicare beneficiaries from across the country by paying bribes and kickbacks to various patient brokers. Gabel instructed the patient brokers to falsify invoices and marketing reports in an effort to hide, and cover up the true nature of the bribes and kickbacks they were receiving from HP. From 2003 through August 2012, HP billed Medicare approximately $67 million for services that were not properly rendered, for patients that did not qualify for the services being billed, and for claims for patients who were procured through bribes and kickbacks. Medicare reimbursed HP nearly $40 million for those claims.

Karen Kallen-Zury, Daisy Miller, Michele Petrie and Christian Coloma were convicted at trial in June 2013 for their roles in this scheme. Kallen-Zury, HP’s former chief executive officer, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Miller, the clinical director of HP’s inpatient facility, was sentenced to 15 years in prison; and Petrie, the head of HP’s intensive outpatient program, was sentenced to six years in prison. Coloma, the director of physical therapy for an entity associated with HP, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Kallen-Zury, Miller and Petrie were ordered to pay nearly $40 million in restitution, and Coloma was ordered to pay more than $20 million in restitution.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Nicholas E. Surmacz, Andrew H. Warren and L. Rush Atkinson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 2,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $6 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Team (HEAT), go to: http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov

Former psychiatrist guilty of raping patients

From ABC News in Australia

An 80-year-old former Perth psychiatrist has been found guility of molesting and raping two of his patients more than 30 years ago.

Alan John Stubley had been on trial for the past week accused of forcing the two women to have sex with him during psychotherapy sessions between 1975 and 1978.

After six hours of deliberations, a Supreme Court jury found him guility of ten charges, but acquitted him of four others.

Stubley, who has senile dementia, has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced in January.

Psychiatrist pleads guilty to 5 misdemeanor charges

A former Albany Psychiatrist pled guilty to issuing blank prescriptions, and faces only a fine. Prosecutors say they are satisfied that the doctor no longer has his medical license.

Dr. Gerald Dariah pled guilty to five misdemeanor counts of issuing blank prescriptions, or attempting to issue blank prescriptions. He was originally arrested and charged with 67 counts. Under the plea agreement, Dariah will have to pay less than two thousand dollars in fines and court costs to satisfy his sentence. Then his record is cleared under a first offender style program.

Investigators say he signed dozens of blank prescriptions, and would let his staff fill them out for patients.

When he was arrested, Prosecutors say the Board of Medical Examiners suspended his medical license. He did not renew it in 2005.

A former prison psychologist has acknowledged having an affair with an inmate under her care and lying to federal investigators about it.

I just don't know what is is about prison psychologists who fall in love with prisoners. From Newsday.com

A former prison psychologist has acknowledged having an affair with an inmate under her care and lying to federal investigators about it.

Magdalena Sanchez faces up to six months in jail after pleading guilty Friday to making a false statement. Her sentencing date has not been set.

She was originally also charged with sexual abuse of a ward, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.

An indictment filed in April accused Sanchez of having a sexual tryst with an inmate at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn between October 2005 and February 2006, and then denying it to a federal agent in September 2006.

"I was asked if I had a sexual relationship with the inmate, and I said I had not, when in fact I had a sexual relationship with the inmate," Sanchez, who is married, told U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes Jr. on Friday. "I knew I was not telling the truth."

Sanchez has resigned from her prison job. She told the judge she was getting "support therapy" from a doctor.

Maryland psychiatrist Anil Sanghera surrendered her license to practice

Maryland psychiatrist Anil Sanghera surrendered her license to practice medicine in November 2007. Sanghera, a member of the Maryland Board of Physicians, consultant to the organization Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD) and the Georgetown University Center for Personal Development, was found guilty by the Board of immoral or unprofessional conduct, among other charges.

Among specific violations cited in the Board's documents was that Dr. Sanghera prescribed to family, friends and one employee without conducting physical examinations, evaluations or follow up care and did not maintain any medical records for some of these individuals. She specialized in the treatment of adult ADD.

Here are some of the documents we have received in this matter.

First we have the complaint that was filed in 2005

Read this doc on Scribd: Anil Sanghera Medical Board Charges 15 September 2008

Then we have the etter from November 2007 where the psychiatrist surrenders their license in order to avoid criminal prosecution by the state of Maryland.

Read this doc on Scribd: Anil Sanghera MD psychiatric board order 11-28-07

Psychologist is expected to plead guilty in domestic violence case

Report from the Indianapolis Star

A prominent Fishers psychologist has agreed to plead guilty in a domestic violence case involving his wife, a fellow therapist, a prosecutor confirmed Friday.

Special Prosecutor Todd Meyer said David M. Buckingham, whose wife, Beth Buckingham, also is a psychologist and behavioral therapist at Buckingham & Associates, is scheduled to plead guilty March 13 in Hamilton Superior Court.

Details of the plea agreement Meyer negotiated with defense attorney Bruce Boje are expected to be filed then.

Typically, plea agreements let a defendant avoid prosecution on one or more charges. In Buckingham's case, the attorneys say, the deal would resolve two battery charges and related charges that he violated a no-contact order.

According to the five counts of invasion of privacy filed July 3, Buckingham sent five text messages to his wife after his May 29 release from jail pending trial in the battery case.

Authorities filed the charges after deciding not to pursue evidence that he had also made threatening phone calls to his wife from the jail before his release on $10,000 bond.

Buckingham, 53, initially was arrested May 26 after Beth Buckingham accused him of attacking her.

"The accused slapped her in the face with an open hand, slammed the car door on her right foot and stomped several times on her left foot," Fishers police officer Tom Weger reported.

Sgt. Gerry Hepp said the incident involved an argument and the woman's attempt to leave home for the weekend.

The couple lived in the 9800 block of Sugarleaf Place in Rosewood.

He was charged with battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a felony, and domestic battery, a misdemeanor, and ordered to avoid all contact with his wife.
The subsequent invasion of privacy charges were filed after Buckingham sent her text messages in June.

In seeking a special prosecutor from another county, Hamilton County Prosecutor Sonia Leerkamp notified the case judge that she and her administrative chief deputy are friends of the couple and worked with them professionally.

Psychiatrist accused of trying to use one patient to threaten another,

UPDATE: we have a report that the former shrink has been sentenced for his misconduct:

A former Launceston psychiatrist has been sentenced to 18 months jail for hiring a former patient to intimidate another patient.

A criminal court jury this afternoon found Ian Anthony Martin guilty of attempting to interfere with a witness.

The Chief Justice Peter Underwood says the crime struck at the well being of society and the court must send a clear message that it will act to protect the judicial system.

He gave Martin a 10 month non parole period.

Original Report: As seen in these reports from ABC News in Australia

Report 1

The trial of a Launceston psychiatrist, accused of trying to use one patient to threaten another, will continue in the Launceston Criminal Court tomorrow.

Ian Anthony Martin has pleaded not guilty to attempting to interfere with a witness and to an alternative charge of perverting the course of justice.

Martin has denied that in 1998 he asked a female patient to withdraw a charge against him of maintaining a sexual relationship.

Another former patient, Gregory Shane Kirkland, has told the court that he damaged the woman's car after Martin asked him to threaten her and her family.

A third former patient, Raymond Henry Wells, said he helped Martin burn the woman's medical files.

Tomorrow the jury will continue watching a recorded police interview with Martin, before the Crown sums up its case.

Report 2

A man has told the Launceston Criminal Court how his doctor asked him to threaten a Launceston family in 1998.

The witness was a patient of Launceston psychiatrist Ian Anthony Martin.

Martin has pleaded not guilty to one count of interfering with a witness and an alternative count of perverting the course of justice.

This morning witness Gregory Shane Kirkland told the court that his psychiatrist Martin offered him $1,000 to go to a Launceston house and threaten a family to get them to drop a lawsuit against Martin.

Mr Kirkland said he damaged two cars at the house and made a threatening phone call.

Martin's lawyer Adrian Hall asked Mr Kirkland whether he had made the story up to get back at Martin for writing a report that resulted in the witness losing his son to child protection.

Mr Kirkland rejected the suggestion.

The trial is continuing.

Psychologist Arrested, Accused Of Sexually Abusing Patient

Just from the sparse details, it sounds a bit weird and somewhat perverted. A Report from WPTZ TV in Plattsburg, NY.

A Bellows Falls psychologist was arrested in January and accused of sexually abusing a patient after DNA evidence was found on her socks, police said.

David Sanborn pleaded not guilty to lewd and lascivious conduct and sexual exploitation of a vulnerable adult in court last Monday.

Police said the patient's husband thought something might be wrong when the woman exhibited child-like behavior after visits with Sanborn. The woman exhibits child-like behavior when she is uncomfortable, her husband said.

Police said the woman's husband had accompanied the woman to sessions until Sanborn suggested she begin coming alone.

Police said the woman trusted and admired Sanborn, sometimes calling him "Lancelot."

Sanborn will be in court again in April.

Psychologist on trial sex charges

From the Eagle Times in New Hampshire

Donald Sanborn III, a local psychologist, has plead not guilty to a variety of sex abuse charges. Sanborn was arrested for lewd and lascivious conduct and exploitation of a vulnerable adult-sexual abuse.

Sanborn has a practice in his home. Under his conditions of release Sanborn can still practice, but not with any female patients or younger patients. He was barred from having contact with the person involved.

According to Bellows Falls detective Jennifer Carroll's affidavit, the victim reported to attorney Robert Fisher on June 13, 2007 that Sanborn had been doing "naughty things" during her psychologist sessions for the last three to four months. This claim was then reported to the police.

On Nov. 13, Carroll met with the victim at the police department. The victim's husband told Carroll she had Disassociate Identity Disorder and Agoraphobia, a fear of being in crowds or open areas. Therefore the victim will act like a 5-year-old when she is "threatened," the affidavit states.

The husband told Sanborn of this disorders and topics that put the victim into a "defensive mode." Sanborn often spoke of these topics, the affidavit states.

The woman started seeing Sanborn in 2003 to help with her disorders, in November 2006 Sanborn allegedly told the victim's husband to let the woman come to therapy along.

He did for approximately six to seven months.

On June 22, 2007 the victim's husband asked his wife why socks were, "balled up in the back of the drawer where they should not have been," the affidavit said. The victim said the socks were the one's "dirtied by Dr. Sanborn."

The victim's husband wrapped the socks in newspaper and took them to the lawyer's office.

On Oct. 29, Carroll told the package and sent to the Vermont Forensic Laboratory for testing. On Nov. 26, the lab report stated one of the socks was positive for "PSA, a protein found in high concentration in seminal fluid," the affidavit says. The other sock had a positive presumptive test for seminal fluid.

On Dec. 18, Carroll was granted a order to collect a swab sample from Sanborn. He submitted swabs on Dec. 26.

A lab report on Jan. 9, 2008 said the primarily reportable types of sperm matched.

Sanborn is scheduled for on April 21.

Psychiatrist Convicted Of Prescription Fraud Loses Appeal

Report from Maine's WMTW TV

A psychiatrist who founded a methadone clinic in Westbrook has lost his appeal of his conviction and six-month prison sentence for prescription fraud.

A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston denied the appeal of Dr. Marc Shinderman, who was found guilty in 2006 of writing prescriptions for controlled substances using another doctor's name and drug registration number.

Shinderman, who started CAP Quality Care in 2001, was not licensed to write the prescriptions in Maine and said he believed that the arrangement was acceptable.

In its ruling Tuesday, the appeals court rejected all four of Shinderman's arguments, including the trial judge's refusal to allow jurors to hear his proposed entrapment defense and the use of an obstruction of justice enhancement during sentencing.

Psychologist in Sexual Abuse Case

From the Brattleboro Reformer

Donald Sanborn III, 65, of Bellows Falls, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he sexually abused a patient.

Sanborn, a psychologist, has been accused by a patient of doing "naughty things" with her during her sessions for approximately three to four months, according to an affidavit from Bellows Falls Police Officer Jennifer Carroll.

When Carroll spoke to the alleged victim, she writes in the affidavit, the woman seemed "very frightened and closed off" and "asked me several times if I was her friend and asked if I worked for Dr. Sanborn."

The alleged victim's husband told Carroll he used to attend the sessions with his wife. The woman stated that Sanborn had been helpful in the past and referred to him as "Lancelot."

About six or seven months before the sessions stopped, however, the alleged victim's husband states that Sanborn suggested private sessions.

He said that his wife sometimes resorted to the mentality of a 5-year-old when she was uncomfortable and he often observed her in this state after she left her sessions, Carroll reported.

The woman told Carroll that Sanborn had frequently wanted to talk about sex with her and convinced her to participate in sexual activities with him, although she had told him she did not want to.

He allegedly also told her not to tell anyone. She told Carroll that "she was afraid Sanborn would come to her house and get her if she told anyone."

Sanborn was arrested over the weekend after a DNA test was done on a pair of the woman's socks. Carroll reports, "I received a laboratory report stating that the primary reportable types of sperm portions from some of the submissions of the socks matched those obtained from the standard from Donald Sanborn III."

According to a report from the Vermont Forensic Laboratory, though, "the secondary types are too limited to support meaningful conclusions."

Sanborn was released on conditions Monday that he not contact the victim or her husband and that he not see any female or "younger" patients until the case is closed.

If found guilty, Sanborn could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,300, or both.

The Strange Case of Marek Jantos

On November 18, we published a story from Adelaide Now regarding the case of Marek Jantos.

We have recently receive an email asking that the story be pulled, together with PDF copies of letters offered as evidence that details of the story were horrendously false with regard the matter of sexual misconduct. This was verified with a PDF copy of a letter from the Crown Solicitor who stated in part that "it was not the Registrar's case, nor a finding of the board, that Mr Jantos had been engaged, in any way, in sexual misconduct"

We note that the South Australian Psychological Board still lists Marek Jantos as having received disciplinary action. The reason stated on the government website is "Guilty of gross professional negligence, malpractice and misconduct." This makes us quite curious, and we feel it would be worthwhile to report on the actual reason for the Board's action. We imagine that there were several points of negotiation in order to get an order that Mr. Jantos could live with.

Seeing as they are in Australia, and we are in the USA, it might be difficult to serve us with a lawsuit. That said, and to be fair, we will work to replace any false information with true information regarding the cancellation of his registration. We will probably be contacting the newspaper and agencies involved in order to get more accurate data.

We supply a copy of the legal documents in question here:

Psychiatrist was insane at time of murder

We somehow suspect that the shrink had been well medicated with anti-depressents, whose side effects include, among other things, homicidal thoughts and ideas, depending on the particular drug involved. Report from the BBC

A psychiatrist who drowned her daughter in a bath has been found not guilty of murder, by reason of insanity.

Lynn Gibbs, 47, admitted killing her 16-year-old daughter Ciara at their home in Gowran, County Kilkenny, in November 2006.

Both the prosecution and defence had argued at Dublin's Circuit Criminal Court that she had been suffering from a mental disorder at the time.

It took the jury 20 minutes to reach its conclusion.

Mrs Gibbs had taken an overdose of sleeping tablets and anti-depressants in an attempt to kill herself after drowning her daughter Ciara.

'Clearly depressed'

The jury had heard earlier from fellow psychiatrist and friend Dr Marese Cheasty, who had visited the house on the night Ciara died.

Dr Cheasty said although Mrs Gibbs was clearly depressed and her thinking distorted, she never thought she was a danger to herself or anyone else.

She said she had urged her to go into hospital, but Mrs Gibbs did not want to because she wanted to be there for Ciara, whom she feared was suffering from anorexia.

The court also heard from Mrs Gibbs' younger sister and her stepmother, who both told of their concerns for Lynn and Ciara's wellbeing in the preceeding weeks.

Ciara's father and brother found her body lying on the floor of an en-suite bathroom, while Mrs Gibbs was lying on the bedroom floor.

Mr Gibbs tried to resuscitate his daughter, but could not.

Mrs Gibbs told gardai two months later that she remembered running a bath and pushing her daughter under the water.

There are many more details in this report

Fake head shrinker to have head examined pending sentencing.

A followup to an odd story from over a year ago:

Fake Head Shrinker Sued for Leaving Mind Unshrunken, and Endangering a Life.

We recently received word that ex-ghost hunter Susan Crites was not only sued, but was charged with crimes, was been found guilty, and was set to be sentenced. But this has been put on hold pending a court order to have the fake head shrinker's head examined.

Here is the news story originally posted December 18th, 2007

The sentencing of Susan R. Crites, the former head of the now defunct Hedgesville-based West Virginia Society of Ghost Hunters, was postponed Monday after a judge ordered her to undergo a 60-day psychological evaluation.

Crites, 57, was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of practicing medicine without a license and five counts of practicing counseling without a license in September following a jury trial in Berkeley County Circuit Court. A separate but related charge of delivery of a controlled substance was later dismissed by the state.

Crites had originally been scheduled to be sentenced last Monday but it was continued because Crites’ then-attorney, Heidi Myers, was unable to attend because of a medical emergency.

The court’s order to have Crites undergo a 60-day psychological evaluation came as a surprise to both the prosecution and the defense, which was only made of aware of the evaluation order by Berkeley County Circuit Court Judge Gray Silver III on Monday morning.

“Note my objection on behalf of Miss Crites,” Myers told Silver.

Silver also granted a motion recently filed by Myers requesting she be allowed to withdraw from the case and a new lawyer be appointed to represent the local ghost hunter and published author. Myers filed the motion at the behest of Crites who recently decided to seek new representation.

“My services have been terminated,” Myers said.

Berkeley County Prosecutor Pamela Games-Neely argued that the evaluation and the appointment of a new attorney for Crites would only delay sentencing, further inconveniencing the victims in the case, but Silver supported an objection by Myers, who argued that Crites would need an attorney to be able to present arguments to the court during the sentencing phase.

“Miss Crites is requesting new counsel. I am concerned that the right to counsel is a constitutional right and sentencing is still a critical stage,” said Silver, adding appointing a new attorney for Crites would not delay sentencing since the court intended to order the 60-day evaluation anyway, something Silver said would aid the court in its sentencing.

Crites will now be represented by the Berkeley County Public Defenders’ Office. The earliest Crites might be forced to undergo the evaluation is three weeks. In the meantime, Silver told Crites her newly appointed attorney could present arguments to the court against the evaluation order if she wished.

After granting Myers’ motion to withdraw, Silver was later presented with a motion by Crites she said a friend helped her draft to continue sentencing. She was stopped by Silver, who indicated Crites should wait until her new attorney was appointed before attempting to present an argument before the court.

“We don’t want you putting yourself in a position where you say something that could possibly hurt your case,” Silver said.

No new sentencing date was scheduled Monday. For each of the three misdemeanor counts of practicing medicine without a license, Crites could face fines of as much as $10,000, imprisonment terms as long as 12 months, or both. For the five counts of offering counseling without a license, Crites stands to face fines as much as $500, imprisonment as long as six months, or both.

Actually the West Virgina Society of Ghost Hunters continues under new leadership, it seems. And to their credit they have a full webpage going over all of the gory details of the scandal.

Israeli Miliatry Psychiatrist Convicted in Espionage Case

As reported in in the Israeli paper Ha'Aretz and elsewhere

A Tel Aviv court on Wednesday convicted Israel Defense Forces psychiatrist Captain David Shamir (Res.) with making contacts with a foreign agent, espionage, and attempting to harm national security.

Sentencing has not begun, but the charges carry penalties of up to a combined 25 years in prison.

The conviction came as part of a plea bargain that reduced the severity of the charges facing Shamir.

According to the original indictment, Shamir attempted to make contact with the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Hamas officials, and the Russian intelligence service the FSB, with the intention of selling them classified information he was exposed to during his military service.

The information reportedly included Medical Corps guidelines for emergency situations, the deployment and status of the Medical Corps, and guidelines for evacuating citizens in case of a missile attack.