LOS ANGLELES - On February 3, 2015, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge sentenced a former doctor to five years in state prison for killing a patient and injuring another during liposuction surgeries at his Encino clinic.
"This case was investigated by the Medical Board of California and the Los Angeles Police Department," said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA). "As a result of the thorough and careful work done by the investigators assigned to this case, this former doctor, who was reckless with the lives of others, is going to state prison."
A jury found Ehab Aly Mohamed, 48, guilty of one count each of involuntary manslaughter with great bodily injury and elder abuse. Mohamed was on trial for the death of patient Sharon Carpernter, 61, and elder abuse involving a 77-year-old patient, both of whom underwent lengthy liposuction procedures at Mohamed's office.
Carpenter died in Mohamed’s office on Aug. 22, 2010, following a liposuction operation in which she was given a lethal combination of lidocaine, fentanyl and oxycodone. The procedure lasted more than 10 hours.
On May 21, 2010, a 77-year-old female client had been the victim of another lengthy liposuction procedure in his office. That victim survived the surgery but had ongoing health issues as a result.
In addition to the state prison sentence, Mohamed is ordered to pay more than $5 million to one of the victim’s families in compliance with a previously decided civil judgment.
The doctor’s office did not meet state-mandated safety standards governing equipment, staffing and emergency resources when he performed the surgeries on both clients, according to evidence presented at trial.
