Welcome to the Podiatry Arena forums

You are currently viewing our podiatry forum as a guest which gives you limited access to view all podiatry discussions and access our other features. By joining our free global community of Podiatrists and other interested foot health care professionals you will have access to post podiatry topics (answer and ask questions), communicate privately with other members, upload content, view attachments, receive a weekly email update of new discussions, access other special features. Registered users do not get displayed the advertisements in posted messages. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our global Podiatry community today!

  1. Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
Dismiss Notice
Have you liked us on Facebook to get our updates? Please do. Click here for our Facebook page.
Dismiss Notice
Do you get the weekly newsletter that Podiatry Arena sends out to update everybody? If not, click here to organise this.

Podiatrist murdered a former patient just days before she was to testify

Discussion in 'General Issues and Discussion Forum' started by Podiatryzone.com, Apr 20, 2005.


  1. Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    Case against podiatrist is laid out
    Murder covered up fraud, jury is told

    By Matt O'Connor
    Tribune staff reporter
    Published April 20, 2005


    A Chicago podiatrist murdered a former patient just days before she was to testify against him in a fraud probe because the doctor believed she would be the lone witness against him, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

    But a lawyer for Dr. Ronald Mikos tried to debunk that central government theory, pointing out that the massive investigation had uncovered that nearly 100 patients were victimized as part of the Medicare fraud.

    "Killing one patient could not possibly end that investigation," Cynthia Giacchetti, one of Mikos' lawyers, told a federal jury in opening statements.

    Assistant U.S. Atty. Jeffrey Cramer charged that Mikos shot Joyce Brannon three times in the back and then put the gun against the flesh of her neck and fired three more times, emptying his revolver. Brannon, 54, a disabled caretaker, was killed in the basement apartment of the North Side church where she lived and worked.

    If Mikos is convicted of Brannon's murder, prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty from the same jury.

    In addition to the murder, the 25-count indictment charges that Mikos, 56, defrauded Medicare of more than $1.2 million by falsely claiming to have performed more than 6,000 surgeries. He is also accused of obstructing justice by recruiting patients to lie to investigators about the fraud.

    In opening remarks to jurors, Cramer said Mikos knew that Brannon was among the patients of interest to investigators after he voluntarily met with a prosecutor and agent in the fall of 2001 to try to convince them he had performed all 6,000 surgeries.

    By early 2002, Brannon and three others had been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury. One prospective witness, Charles Lobosco, was taking kickbacks from Mikos as part of the fraud scheme and Lobosco's daughter, another would-be witness, was mentally disabled and not a threat to Mikos either, Cramer said.

    The other potential witness, an elderly woman, had led Mikos to believe she wouldn't testify against him either, Cramer said.

    "Only Joyce Brannon stood in his way," the prosecutor told jurors. "He had to do something."

    Three days before the murder, Mikos retrieved several firearms of his from Skokie police and called Brannon to plead with her not to testify. But Brannon later told her sister and a friend of the call and said she had refused to lie for Mikos.

    After Mikos' arrest, the FBI recovered all the firearms in a storage facility rented by Mikos--except for a .22 caliber revolver that authorities believe was used to kill Brannon. An exhaustive search didn't turn up the gun, Cramer said.

    In her opening remarks, Giacchetti cautioned jurors not to be swept up by the emotion of the case. She recounted how Cramer had dramatically described certain murder details in his opening but pointed out that Mikos wasn't seen anywhere near Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5942 N. Magnolia Ave.

    And no physical evidence connects him to the murder scene either, Giacchetti said.

    Giacchetti scoffed at the government contention that Brannon was key to the prosecution case, saying, "There were 90 other patients."

    Source Chicago Tribune

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...oll=chi-newslocalnorth-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true
     
  2. admin

    admin Administrator Staff Member

    Slain woman never had foot operations

    Witness: Slain woman never had foot operations

    April 27, 2005

    Full story from Chicage Sun Times
     
  3. admin

    admin Administrator Staff Member

    Podiatrist's murder case goes to jury

    [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Podiatrist's murder case goes to jury

    Full story from Chicago Sun Times

    [/font]
     
  4. admin

    admin Administrator Staff Member

    He has been found guilty...

    Jury convicts podiatrist of killing witness in Medicare fraud case
    May 6, 2005

    Full story from Chicago Sun Times
     
  5. admin

    admin Administrator Staff Member

    Jury weighs death penalty in shooting of federal witness

    Jury weighs death penalty in shooting of federal witness
    Full story from WQAD
     
  6. admin

    admin Administrator Staff Member

    Jury urged to spare doctor for kids' sake

    Jury urged to spare doctor for kids' sake

    Full story from Chicago Tribune
     
  7. admin

    admin Administrator Staff Member

    He got the death penalty

    Full story from Chicago Sun Times
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2005
  8. youngin'

    youngin' Active Member

    Good.
     
Loading...

Share This Page