Alarming Charge Against Oklahoma Doctor

OKLAHOMA CITY (CN) - An Oklahoma doctor was charged Tuesday with prescribing abortion-inducing drugs to several patients he falsely identified as pregnant, Oklahoma's attorney general said.

Dr. Narish G. Patel was charged with three counts of obtaining money under a false pretense, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday.

Patel runs the Outpatient for Women clinic in Warr Acres, a suburb of Oklahoma City. If convicted, he faces up to 3 years in state prison and a $15,000 fine. Search warrants were executed at Patel's home and clinic Tuesday morning.

Attorney General Scott Pruitt said undercover agents from his office, the Oklahoma Medical Licensure Board and the Oklahoma City Police Department posed as patients and set up appointments with Patel, at which he "fraudulently identified" each as being pregnant after performing ultrasounds and pregnancy tests.

"Afterward, he prescribed them an abortion-inducing drug, provided directions for administering it and charged the female agents for the unnecessary treatment," Pruitt said in a statement. "This type of fraudulent activity and blatant disregard for the health and well-being of Oklahoma women will not be tolerated."

Pruitt said Patel's "dubious practices" were investigated after complaints that he had performed an abortion on Pamela King, who was not pregnant.

"King was diagnosed and died from complications of cervical cancer later that year, and her autopsy determined that she had not been pregnant in the time frame that the abortion procedure occurred," Pruitt said.

Patel and Outpatient for Women could not be reached for comment Tuesday. His office will be closed all week, according to the clinic's answering service.

Follow @davejourno

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