By David McGrath Schwartz

Tue, Apr 1, 2008 (2 a.m.)

Authorities have “flagged” the passport of the majority owner of the Las Vegas medical center responsible for the hepatitis C crisis, meaning that if Dr. Dipak Desai were to try to leave the country, law enforcement officials would be notified, sources close to an investigation said.

The flagging of Desai’s passport, which authorities arranged after serving a search warrant at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada last month, would not prevent him from leaving the country, according to sources who requested anonymity because their investigation into conditions surrounding the hepatitis C scare is ongoing.

It would allow them, however, to attempt to interview Desai before he left the country.

Metro Police Deputy Chief Kathy Suey said Desai is “absolutely one of the persons we’re looking at in the investigation.” However, that investigation “is not far enough to charge him with something” at this time, Suey added. She would not comment on whether Desai’s passport has been flagged.

It was unclear Monday whether local or federal agencies requested the action in regard to Desai’s passport.

Authorities believe Desai, a native of India who has been licensed to practice medicine in Nevada since 1980, is still in Las Vegas.

Mike Fleming, a spokesman for the Los Angeles field office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said airlines regularly provide the federal agency with lists of passengers flying into and out of the United States. Fleming said he could not comment, however, about an ongoing investigation or a specific individual whose travel is being monitored.

FBI officials declined to comment Monday.

Health officials say six people were infected with hepatitis C at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada because of unsafe injection practices. About 40,000 patients have been notified that they should be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV because of the ambulatory surgical center’s practices.

Nurses have told health officials they were directed to reuse syringes and single-dose vials of medicine on multiple patients. It still is unclear who told them to do so and whether that was standard policy at the clinic.

Desai’s attorney, Richard Wright, refused Monday to comment on Desai’s passport being flagged. He also refused to confirm authorities’ belief that his client is still in Las Vegas, saying it is a private matter.

At a public hearing last week attended by 200 people, many expressed outrage that Desai was not under arrest and that he still is allowed to practice medicine, though Desai has voluntarily agreed not to do so for the time being.

Suey said investigators still are examining documents seized from the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada.

In early March, Metro Police, FBI agents and state law enforcement officials armed with search warrants seized patient records at several local clinics.

Tens of thousands of pages of medical files were gathered as evidence.

Sun reporter Abigail Goldman contributed to this story.