Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010 | 3:47 p.m.
Sun Coverage
The findings from an investigation into the hepatitis C outbreak will likely be presented to a Clark County grand jury for possible criminal charges in coming weeks, District Attorney David Roger said Wednesday.
Roger said he met with prosecutors in his office Tuesday and they plan to present the investigation to a grand jury within the next two months.
Dr. Dipak Desai and his Las Vegas Valley endoscopy clinics have been a high-profile subject of investigations related to the case but Roger declined to name names as to whom prosecutors were targeting or exact charges his office is likely to present.
He did say any charges “will involve patient neglect as well as some private insurance fraud-type charges.”
The Southern Nevada Health District has linked nine hepatitis C cases to Desai’s facilities, but said 105 other patients could have been infected.
The outbreak prompted health officials to recommend testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV to about 50,000 patients.
“We have reviewed the information and we are going to be taking the next step and presenting the case to the Clark County grand jury for possible indictment,” Roger said.
About 5,000 former patients have filed lawsuits stemming from the outbreak.
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