Doctors behind bars: 6 recent cases shaking trust in medicine
Trust is foundational and fragile. Even rare cases of physician misconduct can significantly erode public confidence in the profession—and doctor-patient relationships
Vigilance matters in clinical settings. Unusual patterns, patient safety concerns, or colleague behavior are difficult to report (no matter where you fall in the hospital hierarchy), but intervention prevents harm.
Physicians are often viewed as pillars of trust, entrusted with patients’ lives and held to high ethical standards. But a series of recent criminal cases serves as a reminder that medical credentials do not make someone immune to wrongdoing.
From violent assaults and murder to fraud and exploitation, these cases highlight the unsettling reality that some clinicians have crossed legal and moral boundaries—sometimes with devastating consequences for patients, families, and public trust.
An anesthesiologist convicted of attempted manslaughter
A Maui anesthesiologist, Gerhardt Konig, MD, has been convicted of attempted manslaughter for attempting to push his wife off a cliff and attacking her with a rock while on a hike in Oahu. During the weeks-long trial, his wife testified that she survived by fighting back until other hikers intervened.[]
His defense argues the incident was not premeditated and disputes key details, while prosecutors say he later confessed to his son, citing suspicions of infidelity.[]
What this means for you: The case underscores a troubling reality: Some physicians may appear professional at work while engaging in violent behavior in their personal lives.
A pediatric neurologist sentenced for producing child pornography
Dr. Brian Aalbers, a former pediatric neurologist in Kansas, was sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole in 2022 after pleading guilty to producing child pornography. Authorities later uncovered tens of thousands of files, including over 1,000 depicting child sexual abuse.[]
He will be subject to lifetime supervision upon release and is no longer licensed to practice medicine.[]
What this means for you: Physicians are entrusted with access to vulnerable patients. When that trust is violated, it damages confidence in the entire profession.
An anesthesiologist poisoning patients–sometimes fatally
Frédéric Péchier, a former French anesthesiologist, was sentenced to life in prison in 2025 for poisoning 30 patients—12 fatally—over nearly a decade. He allegedly tampered with IV bags to trigger medical emergencies, then intervened to appear as the rescuer.[]
What this means for you: Though rare, cases like this highlight the critical importance of trust among patients, physicians, and colleagues.
A nurse practitioner defrauding Medicare
A Florida nurse practitioner was sentenced to 20 years in prison in December 2023 for her role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting over $192 million in claims for genetic tests and durable medical equipment that patients did not need and telehealth visits that never occurred.[]
According to the Department of Justice, Elizabeth Hernandez participated in a broader scheme in which telemarketing companies contacted Medicare patients to persuade them to request unnecessary braces and tests, which were then billed to Medicare.[]
What this means for you: Insurance billing can be complicated, so mistakes are not uncommon. However, to be convicted of healthcare fraud, it must be shown that a provider acted with intent.
A fertility doctor who killed his wife
Former fertility doctor Eric Scott Sills was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in 2024 after being found guilty of murdering his wife in 2016 and staging the scene to make it look like an accident had occurred.[]
Sills strangled his wife to death and then staged the incident to look as if she had fallen down the stairs before calling 911.[]
His wife's death was not investigated as a homicide until a year after it occurred. Sills was not arrested until 2019, and during the time between the murder and the arrest, Sills continued to practice medicine. His medical license did not expire until 2021, and the New York and California Medical Boards did not pull his licenses until 2022.[]
What this means for you: Eight years after his wife's death, a former fertility doctor has been convicted of murdering her. He is unlikely to ever practice medicine again.
An anesthesiologist tampering with IV bags
Texas anesthesiologist Reynoldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., MD, was sentenced to 190 years in prison in 2024 for tampering with IV bags at a surgical center, a scheme linked to at least 10 cardiac emergencies and one death over several months. He had previously been arrested for assaulting his wife.[]
What this means for you: As a physician, it's always important to prioritize patient safety. In some cases, you may need to have a tough conversation with a coworker or report a colleague to the institution.