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A former anesthesiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for sexually assaulting multiple women, including sedated patients under his care.
According to prosecutors, the abuse involved recording many of the assaults. “Zhi Alan Cheng committed a series of heinous acts against women,” the Queens district attorney, Melinda Katz, said in a news release announcing the sentencing. “He did so both as a private citizen, sexually assaulting women who were his intimate partners, and as a doctor, sexually assaulting vulnerable patients who came to the hospital in need of help.”
How the Case Came to Light
The investigation began after an acquaintance discovered video evidence of an assault and alerted law enforcement in December 2022. A subsequent search of the doctor’s residence uncovered digital storage devices containing numerous recordings of assaults against unconscious acquaintances and hospital patients, as well as controlled substances and surgical anesthetics. Prosecutors also cited an incident involving a woman the doctor met on a dating app; video footage showed a small brown bottle on the bed, and investigators later recovered a similar bottle containing a powerful anesthetic from his apartment. Additional drugs recovered from the home included LSD, ketamine, fentanyl, and other anesthetics commonly used in surgical settings.
Abuse Inside the Hospital
Prosecutors detailed assaults inside NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. In one instance, the doctor filmed himself while on duty as he groped a 37-year-old patient who was unconscious. In another, a 19-year-old patient reported an invasive, unnecessary exam, followed by an injection of an unknown substance into her IV line and a sexual assault. The woman later filed a civil lawsuit in June 2023 under a pseudonym, alleging the hospital failed to intervene and attempted to conceal the assault after she reported a painful injection and a loss of consciousness.
Guilty Pleas and Charges
In June, the doctor pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree rape and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse. He also entered an Alford plea to one count of sexual abuse, acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to secure a conviction while not admitting guilt to that charge. In total, he admitted to abusing seven women, including three sedated patients, and entered the Alford plea regarding an eighth woman. He was ultimately charged with more than 50 criminal counts, including rape, sexual abuse, assault, misdemeanor drug possession, and unlawful surveillance.
Accountability and Sentencing
The medical center terminated the doctor’s employment in December 2022, and he was stripped of his license to practice medicine. After his 24-year prison term, imposed by Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant in State Supreme Court in Queens, he will be subject to 10 years of post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender. District Attorney Katz underscored the gravity of the harm: “The level of violence and perversion displayed by Zhi Alan Cheng in sexually abusing multiple victims is compounded by the fact that he took an oath to do no harm as a medical professional,” she said. “I thank the brave victim who initially came forward and exposed this abuse.”
Hospital Response and Recent History
NewYork-Presbyterian stated that it worked closely with law enforcement. “As caregivers, we are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of our patients. It is a sacred trust,” said hospital spokesperson Angela Karafazli. “The crimes committed by this individual are heinous, despicable, and a fundamental betrayal of our mission and the patients’ trust.” This is the second high-profile abuse case linked to NewYork-Presbyterian in recent years. The hospital and Columbia University were previously involved in the case of former OB-GYN Robert Hadden, which led to one of the largest medical sexual abuse settlements in U.S. history, with combined payouts exceeding $1 billion to hundreds of patients.
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