Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Dartmouth Psychiatrist Faces DOJ Charges: 11 Counts & Possible $1.3 Million in Fines

AHRP has:

Dartmouth Psychiatrist Facing Dept. of Justice Charges

"William Weeks, MD a professor of psychiatry and community and family medicine is facing federal conflict of interest charges" involving contract between the Veterans Affairs department and Dartmouth.

The Dartmouth news reports that "The U.S. Attorney’s office also filed an 11-count civil complaint against Weeks on Friday, including six counts of conflict of interest, four counts of false claims and one count of “breach of fiduciary duty.” Most of his time has been spent conducting research and administering multiple VA programs.

If convicted, Dr. Weeks faces a maximum possible penalty of one year in prison and fines of up to $100,000 for each criminal count, as well as a maximum possible fine of $1.3 million in penalties for the civil complaint, according to the press release.

Prestigious academic institutions are finding that faculty members in the department of psychiatry are becoming a liability--their misconduct and sometimes erratic behavior undermines the institution's reputation.

For more see:

The Dartmouth DMS prof. faces federal charges

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