Jurors start deliberating doctor’s case
RENO -- A jury began trying to decide Wednesday whether a Reno doctor accused of trafficking human growth hormone was offering patients an illegal sip of a modern "Fountain of Youth" or was the victim of an overzealous federal agency.
Lawyers for Dr. James Forsythe contend that while he was the target of an undercover sting operation in 2004, he twice prescribed the drug to a Food and Drug Administration agent to treat a legitimate health condition.
Federal prosecutors argue the physician with a patient list that includes casino executives and Nevada first lady Dawn Gibbons sold the drugs illegally for anti-aging purposes and falsified the diagnosis of a growth hormone deficiency to cover his tracks.
The 12-member jury deliberated for about two hours Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Reno after hearing closing arguments and listening again to secret tape recordings the undercover agent made of Forsythe, who is married to former Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Earlene Forsythe.
Senior Judge Howard McKibben on Tuesday dismissed one of two counts the Justice Department brought against Forsythe and said no evidence existed that he introduced the drugs into interstate commerce from Israel without required approval.
