Dipak Desai’s federal trial moved to February
The federal trial of Dr. Dipak Desai and his clinic manager, Tonya Rushing, on conspiracy and health care fraud charges stemming from the hepatitis C outbreak has been reset for Feb. 11.
U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro continued the trial, which was to get underway Aug. 20, to give the defense more time to prepare.
Following a 10-week trial, a District Court jury on July 2 convicted Desai of second-degree murder and 26 other charges, including criminal neglect of patients and insurance fraud.
Nurse anesthetist Ronald Lakeman was acquitted of the murder charge, but convicted of 16 other counts related to the 2007 hepatitis outbreak.
Both defendants, being held at the Clark County Detention Center, are to be sentenced before District Judge Valerie Adair on Sept. 5.
Rushing, who was not charged in the state case, testified against Desai and Lakeman.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Follow @JGermanRJ on Twitter.
