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DA's Office Gets Big Break in Health Crisis Investigation

May 21, 2008 KVBC.com

The District Attorney's Office says it's just gotten a major break in their investigation against the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. The CDC has decided to turn over the results of its local investigation into the hepatitis-C outbreak.

News 3's Jesse Corona shows us what that means for investigators here.

District Attorney David Roger says corporate attorneys are representing former Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada former employees, telling them not to cooperate with the criminal investigation.

Roger says that was a major stumbling block, until now. "Now's the time to step forward and talk to detectives because if they do not talk to detectives and we're able to put cases against them, it's going to be way too late to talk once the handcuffs are on them."

Roger says the CDC is turning over the results of their investigation into the Endoscopy Center on Shadow Lane. That investigation includes the names of the doctors and nurses who performed the procedures that led to the hepatitis outbreak.

Roger says they will be contacting those people and giving them one more chance to cooperate. "If they don't talk then we'll have to use other options."

Roger says it's still too early to discuss when or even if a criminal complaint will be filed against the Endoscopy Center. "Our objective is to put together a case that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt and when detectives and prosecutors get together and conclude there's sufficient info to move forward we'll do so."

Of course there is an incentive to filing a complaint. A $100,000 incentive. The City of Las Vegas promised that money to the DA's Office, but only if a complaint is filed or an indictment is returned.

The FBI and State Attorney General are focusing their investigations on medicare and insurance fraud. Criminal charges on any kind against the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada have yet to be filed by any organization.