FORMER “DOCTORS” PAD NO CONTEST TO FELONY CHARGES

Court news last week included action in the Cass criminal sexual conduct case against a former Southwestern Michigan College instructor and the no contest plea from a St. Joseph doctor on drug and insurance fraud charges.
Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz reported last week that former SMC instructor George Field had waived a preliminary hearing on five felony counts and will face trial in Cass Circuit Court. No trial dates have yet been scheduled.
Field had been scheduled to have a preliminary hearing last Wednesday before Cass District Judge Stacey Rentfrow. Attorney James Miller has been appointed to represent Field in the case although Field has indicated that he may still hire his own attorney. Field remains in jail with his bond set at $200,000 cash or surety.
Field, 57, of Michigan 51 South in Dowagiac, faces one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC), one count of second-degree CSC, two counts of fourth-degree CSC and one count of practicing psychology/counseling without a license.
First-degree CSC carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, while second-degree CSC carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The practicing without a license charge is four-year felony while the fourth-degree CSC charge is a two-year felony.
Field is alleged to have engaged in sexual penetration and contact with a 20-year-old female who had been both his student and his client in his counseling practice. The incidents allegedly occurred between September 2015 and June 2016 at “The Family Center” in Dowagiac and Field’s home next to the center.
Fitz said the investigation into Field’s alleged activities remains “very active” with the Cass County Sheriff’s Department continuing to gather evidence. He urged anyone with information about Field to contact Capt. Tom Jacobs of the sheriff’s department.
The investigation of Field began in late summer after a former SMC student told college officials about Field’s alleged actions against her. They began investigating and recommended she contact the sheriff’s department.
SMC completed their investigation in late September when they fired Field. Field had been a popular instructor at the college before his dismissal. Contrary to previous reports, he was not employed at Edwardsburg schools but did teach a SMC class in Edwardsburg for a short time before his arrest.
In the Berrien County case, a St. Joseph podiatrist pleaded no contest to diverting opioids and insurance fraud.
Berrien County Prosecutor Michael Sepic announced that Dr. Craig Sherwood, a St. Joseph podiatrist, 65 of St. Joseph, has pled no contest today to 10 felony counts, five counts of diverting opioids (Delivery of Schedule 2 controlled substances) and five counts of health care fraud.
The delivery counts carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison while the fraud counts carry maximum penalty of four years in prison. Sepic said Dr. Sherwood has started the process of giving up his DEA license, which authorizes a doctor to issue prescriptions. His Michigan medical license and medical practice will be terminated as of 12/31/2017.
In a plea agreement, the prosecutor’s office has agreed not to charge additional counts of the same charges, not pursue other medical related offenses and has agreed that his sentence not include incarceration.
The investigation by the South West Enforcement Team (SWET) found that the doctor Sherwood wrote prescriptions between 2014 and 2016 in the name of family members who were not patients of his and patients were encouraged to bring in unused portions of filled prescriptions. Many of the prescriptions were paid by private insurance.
Sepic reported that the investigation did not produce evidence Sherwood was selling opioids or that anyone suffered from an opioid overdose. Sherwood is free on bond pending his sentencing scheduled for December 11, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. in St. Joseph.
The Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET) is comprised of sworn law enforcement personnel from the Michigan State Police, Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, Barry County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, Covert Police Department, Kalamazoo Township Police Department and South Haven Police Department.
The SWET is funded in part by the Michigan HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, Byrne JAG grant.