D.A. to Dr. Needles: "Faker!"

After finally indicting Dr. Dipak Desai for the 2008 hepatitis C outbreak he caused, the D.A. is now calling him out on that convenient "stroke" he had back in 2008, just as the shit was hitting the fan. [Punny!]

From the LVRJ:

“It is the state’s belief and position that defendant Desai is malingering and does not possess the level of impairment which might prevent him from understanding and participating in his defense,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Staudaher wrote in his motion. “Defendant Desai has continually tried to hide behind a curtain of mental and physical impairment so he can avoid facing consequences of his actions.”

Staudaher is requesting all medical records related to the strokes Desai claims to have had, and he wants to choose the physician who would conduct Desai’s independent medical evaluation.

The D.A. also had an interesting account of a little "rope-a-dope" Desai pulled on a fellow colleague just as the scandal was going down:

The prosecutor said Desai asked a partner in the now-closed Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, Dr. Eladio Carrera, to read a prepared statement at a Feb. 27, 2008, news conference responding to the outbreak. Carrera has since testified under grant of immunity before the grand jury that indicted Desai.

“Dr. Desai told Dr. Carrera that, although he was the medical director and CEO of the clinic, his cardiologist would not allow Dr. Desai to read the prepared statement,” Staudaher wrote. “Dr. Carrera believed that Dr. Desai was being disingenuous and that Dr. Desai looked ‘hale and hardy.’” Staudaher added: “Dr. Carrera did not want to be the lone doctor reading the prepared statement and insisted that Dr. Desai stand by Dr. Carrera as he delivered the statement. Dr. Desai agreed, but just before they were to go to the press conference, Dr. Desai conveniently developed an illness, which prevented him from attending.”

"Syke!" Seems this isn't the first time Desai has hid behind an "ailment" to avoid trouble.

If Dr. Carrera had any stones he would have gotten up there and pinned everything on Desai at the press conference. Of course, if he had any brains he would not have been working for him in the first place.

(LVRJ)