Doctor Said pleads not guilty
EPHRATA — Dr. Mohammad Hassan Said, who contends he is one of the leading experts in pain management and has 34 years experience prescribing medicine, pleaded not guilty Monday to three counts of delivering controlled substances to a female patient and one count of fourth-degree assault for allegedly touching her sexually in his home.
"I have no doubt I will be exonerated when the truth comes out," Said, 67, said Monday.
The felony drug charges filed by Grant County Deputy Prosecutor Albert Lin specifically accuse Said of delivering controlled substances — including hydrocodone, oxycodone and methadone — to a 36-year-old former friend and patient, Kimberly A. Thompson.
Lin has declined to comment on the specifics of the case pending trial.
According to a report filed in Grant County Superior Court by sheriff's office detective David Matney, Thompson's drug history from the Ephrata Rite Aid pharmacy from June 2005 through the end of last year shows she received a total of 93 prescriptions for the three drugs listed in the charges. Said issued all but one of those prescriptions, Matney stated in his report.
"You cannot put (in the charges) 'delivery of a controlled substance' when I am doctor, a physician, the most qualified in pain management in the state here and maybe among the ones in the whole world," Said said.
"I am a physician that is qualified to prescribe whatever I feel is in the best interest of the patient's treatment and my prescriptions are always in the best interest of my patient's treatment," he said.
Said appeared Monday with his Ellensburg-based attorney, Chelsea Korte, in front of Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz for arraignment. Antosz set an initial trial date of Aug. 22 and Said agreed to make regular contact with Korte. A pre-trial conference date of Aug. 7 was also set.
After appearing in court, Said, who has operated a medical practice in Ephrata for 24 years, was briefly booked into Grant County Jail for fingerprints.
The physician has been released, but has been ordered to have no communication or contact with Thompson.
The fourth-degree assault charge stems from a visit Thompson made to Said's home in the fall of last year. Prior to Thompson leaving the physician's home, she said she attempted to hug Said, but was allegedly grabbed sexually, Matney stated in his report. Matney and Thompson have been acquaintances for several years.
Said, a Palestinian Muslim, said the assault allegations are the result of "revenge" sought by Thompson, who Said called a "drug seeker." He accuses authorities of targeting him, because he is politically and religiously outspoken.
The physician said the fourth-degree assault charge is especially damaging to "my reputation, my honor, my business and my religion," he said.
"(Sexual assault charges) are very dangerous in the medical profession," Said said. The charge makes "me feel uncomfortable to touch other patients."
Matney listed three previous and unrelated allegations of sexual misconduct in his report, but no charges were filed. Two allegations were made by employees of Said and one by a former tenant.
Said said police investigated the first allegation, made by a former employee, but authorities determined "no crime was committed." The second allegation, he said, was made by a former employee who was seeking money, but the alleged incident was never investigated by police. The tenant, he said, was destructive to his property, including selling his livestock. He obtained a protective order against her.
"All the charges are without foundation," Said said.