Image Credit: pac-md.com & Google Maps
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
An East Memphis gynecologist who was charged with sex crimes, medical misconduct, and healthcare fraud has had approximately half of the charges dismissed.
Dr. Sanjeev Kumar whose Poplar Avenue Clinic Women’s Health and Med Spa was raided in 2024, almost a year prior to his arrest, was ultimately indicted on 36 federal counts that included performing unnecessary procedures, reusing disposable materials, fraudulently billing Medicare and Medicaid, and enticing individuals across state lines for illicit sexual activity.
A federal judge threw out 17 of the charges on Friday which included 4 counts of enticement and inducement to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, 5 counts of adulteration of single-use medical devices, 5 counts of misbranding of reprocessed single-use devices, and one count of adulteration of hysteroscopes cleared for reprocessing.
According to court records, two out of three defense motions to dismiss that were filed on behalf of Kumar earlier this year were granted.
On the first successful motion, Kumar’s counsel argued that the original charges did not allege that any conduct was done in the pursuit of sexual pleasure, and therefore the conduct charged in counts 1 through 4 was not prohibited. The motion stated that “sexual activity” must involve “libidinal gratification” as defined by the Travel Act.
The second successful motion which dismissed 13 more counts argued that thousands of individual acts of adulteration and misbranding over months or years were improperly combined into single charges.
The third motion sought to dismiss Kumar’s health care fraud charges but was denied.
A year after the raid on Kumar’s clinic by the FBI, TBI, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, Kumar was allowed to reopen providing he follow strict conditions issued by the court.
Kumar’s attorneys argued that the public’s need for his expertise in providing very specific surgeries outweighed “alleged and unsubstantiated” claims against him.
Patient visits were allowed to resume but a judge stipulated that Kumar was not allowed to examine minors unless authorized by the courts to do so. Among other requirements, multi-use devices had to be used during procedures and chaperoned office exams were mandated.
At the time of Kumar’s arrest, the FBI asked potential victims to complete a questionnaire on their website in order to connect them with agents. Over 200 individuals came forward with complaints.
A change of venue request for the trial, which was originally meant to begin early last month, was denied and Kumar is now set to appear on December 1st.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
WHICH federal “judge”??