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Doctor holds woman captive until bill is paid
allen griggs
Member Posts: 35,696 ✭✭✭✭
Three indicted on charges of holding woman captive at clinic
By GEORGE CHIDI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/20/08
A doctor and two staffers at a Duluth medical practice face charges of false imprisonment for allegedly locking a patient in a room when concerns arose about her ability to pay the bill.
Dr. John Drew Laurusonis and office assistants Leslie Ann York and Alexander Acquah of the Doctors Medical Center were indicted this week on false imprisonment charges. The three face arraignment July 3 on the charge.
Police say Frances Bales, 36, of Duluth, was held against her will on Oct. 4, 2007, when she went to the clinic seeking treatment for arm pain.
A receptionist at Doctors Medical Center said the clinic would have no comment and then hung up. Office staff for Laurusonis' attorney, Richard Ryczek, said the attorney would call back later for comment.
Bales' attorney, Joseph Fried, said Friday she was told initially that the visit would cost $98. Bales had been visiting from out-of-state and didn't have health insurance, Fried said.
"They took her debit card and her driver's license at the reception desk," Fried said. "She figured with X-rays it might be a little more."
Instead, after tests, she was charged $755, Fried said.
"She says, 'I don't have the money,' " Fried said. "They direct her to go into what they called their billing office." For several hours, the staff refused to allow her to leave, locking her in for periods of time, Fried said. They had her log into her bank records from a computer while she was there, he said.
"They said, 'Don't you have anyone who loves you who can come and help you? Because you're not leaving until this bill is paid,' " Fried said. "They made her feel like she was a criminal. She was made to feel like she couldn't leave without something bad to happen to her."
Fried described Bales' personality as "less assertive than other people."
At one point, they allowed her to go to her truck to get a paycheck, but held her keys while she looked, unlocking the vehicle's doors with the electronic key fob on the keychain, Fried said.
By GEORGE CHIDI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/20/08
A doctor and two staffers at a Duluth medical practice face charges of false imprisonment for allegedly locking a patient in a room when concerns arose about her ability to pay the bill.
Dr. John Drew Laurusonis and office assistants Leslie Ann York and Alexander Acquah of the Doctors Medical Center were indicted this week on false imprisonment charges. The three face arraignment July 3 on the charge.
Police say Frances Bales, 36, of Duluth, was held against her will on Oct. 4, 2007, when she went to the clinic seeking treatment for arm pain.
A receptionist at Doctors Medical Center said the clinic would have no comment and then hung up. Office staff for Laurusonis' attorney, Richard Ryczek, said the attorney would call back later for comment.
Bales' attorney, Joseph Fried, said Friday she was told initially that the visit would cost $98. Bales had been visiting from out-of-state and didn't have health insurance, Fried said.
"They took her debit card and her driver's license at the reception desk," Fried said. "She figured with X-rays it might be a little more."
Instead, after tests, she was charged $755, Fried said.
"She says, 'I don't have the money,' " Fried said. "They direct her to go into what they called their billing office." For several hours, the staff refused to allow her to leave, locking her in for periods of time, Fried said. They had her log into her bank records from a computer while she was there, he said.
"They said, 'Don't you have anyone who loves you who can come and help you? Because you're not leaving until this bill is paid,' " Fried said. "They made her feel like she was a criminal. She was made to feel like she couldn't leave without something bad to happen to her."
Fried described Bales' personality as "less assertive than other people."
At one point, they allowed her to go to her truck to get a paycheck, but held her keys while she looked, unlocking the vehicle's doors with the electronic key fob on the keychain, Fried said.
Comments
My wife used to work for a Dentist and if someone came in who owed money or had issued them a bad check and wanted to pay with a check she would call the bank and if the money was there she would have them sit in the lobby while she went out the back door, drove to the bank and cashed the check while they waited. They hated her but she rarely got stiffed with a bad check.
Bode
He paid me with a worthless check.
The Judge was kind enough to let me withdraw off the case...
I was defending a guy in a criminal charge involving passing worthless checks.
He paid me with a worthless check.
The Judge was kind enough to let me withdraw off the case...
I would think that even you would have known not to take a check. Don
I was defending a guy in a criminal charge involving passing worthless checks.
He paid me with a worthless check.
The Judge was kind enough to let me withdraw off the case...
thats funny, i once bonded a guy out of jail for writing bad checks, i received half cash, and half a bad check, i revoked his bond on a friday so he would sit in jail till at least monday, while i had him charged again, goofy bastage i still got paid + extra