Here are 13 healthcare-related criminal cases, lawsuits and other incidents reported by Becker's since July 26.
1. Reuven Alonalayoff, the former marketing director of Secaucus, N.J.-based Hudson Regional Hospital who was arrested last year after police found guns hidden inside an unlocked closet at the hospital, entered a pretrial diversion program.
2. Federal agents arrested Gordon Pedersen, a Utah man previously indicted for allegedly posing as a physician and selling a baseless COVID-19 cure, ending a three-year manhunt.
3. Maria Michailidou, MD, sued Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and the hospital's chief of surgery over alleged discrimination she faced as a female, foreign-born physician. Dr. Michailidou alleged surgery chief Brad Waddell, MD, demonstrated hostile and demeaning behavior and claims the hospital encouraged leaders to instill fear in early-career physicians.
4. Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke's Health System filed a new lawsuit as it seeks to get the money a court ordered Ammon Bundy to pay in a lawsuit alleging harassment and intimidation against St. Luke's and its workers. The lawsuit accused Mr. Bundy of transferring and hiding assets or directing others to transfer and hide assets to hinder or frustrate efforts by the St. Luke's parties to collect damages.
5. Zhi Alan Cheng, MD, was charged with sexually abusing three patients at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital and raping three other patients in his home. Dr. Cheng, a gastroenterologist, is accused of drugging the women he allegedly raped in his apartment and filming the assaults.
6. A patient in custody of corrections officers escaped New York City-based Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital by rappelling down the side of the building with towels.
7. The New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners permanently revoked the license of a Jashvant Amin, MD, who had sexual relations with a cognitively impaired patient who bore his child in 1986. DNA testing confirmed the complainant is his biological son.
8. The Ohio State Medical Board indefinitely suspended the license of prominent anti-vaccine advocate and physician Sherri Tenpenny, DO, who in 2021 claimed COVID-19 vaccines magnetize recipients and "interface" with 5G cellphone towers. The physician was deemed a nonexpert by a federal judge in a vaccine injury lawsuit.
9. Four hospitals and health systems are facing lawsuits for allegedly sharing healthcare data for marketing purposes with social media giants such as Meta, Facebook and Google.
10. Andrea Falzano, a former Boston nurse pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of doses of opioids from an emergency room locked drug cabinet in 2019. She could face up to four years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for the three counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception and subterfuge
11. Linda Carnazza, the owner and president of the Virginia Surgical Center in Virginia Beach, is facing charges for performing invasive surgeries without a license. A former patient reported the center after undergoing a botched procedure in February.
12. Maria Macburnie was arrested for allegedly posing as a physician, treating patients and prescribing medications at Toms River, N.J.-based Shore Medical Associates. She allegedly assumed the identity of a relative who is licensed to practice, treated patients and wrote prescriptions when the relative was unable to.
13. Johanah Napoleon, former president and owner of the Palm Beach School of Nursing in West Palm Beach, Fla., was sentenced to 21 months in prison for awarding at least 7,600 fake diplomas. In addition to the prison time, Ms. Napoleon has been ordered to pay $3.5 million in fines.