A Clark County grand jury indicted Dr. Dipak Desai and two others in connection with the 2008 Hepititus hepatitis C outbreak that formed the basis for Bob Eglet's $500 million + verdict last month. From the LV Sun:
The 28-count criminal indictment unsealed today against the three includes charges of racketeering, performance of an act in reckless disregard of persons or property, criminal neglect of patients, insurance fraud, theft and obtaining money under false pretenses. All are felonies.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Staudaher wanted Desai to be held in jail without bail until next week, when the court could determine what his assets are and how much bail would be appropriate. Staudaher claimed that that Desai has at least $30 million in assets and has bragged that he could gain access to as much as $180 million. The prosecutor said Desai received an $881,000 tax refund for 2008 and had enough cash to pay his bankruptcy lawyer $250,000.
Dr. Needles attorney, Richard Wright, claimed that his client's assets were tied up in bankruptcy and he will need time to request bail from the bankruptcy court or from his relatives. Judge Cadish compromised:
Judge Elissa Cadish ordered that Desai surrender himself [Friday] and be placed on house arrest until he can arrange to post $1 million bail. If he is unable to arrange bail by the close of business Monday, he will be taken to the Clark County Detention Center.
Cadish also made Desai surrender his passport.
The other two charged in the Indictment were Desai’s employees, identified as Ronald Ernest Lakeman and Keith H. Mathahs. Cadish set bail for them at $500,000 each.
***UPDATE***
Well, maybe not all of his assets were tied up in bankruptcy. The RJ is reporting that Desai submitted a cashier's check in the amount of $1 Million at 4:00 P.M. to secure his freedom while he awaits trial. As of 4:00 P.M., Lakeman and Mathahs had not yet posted their bail or turned themselves in.
