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    WV Senate proposes 15% cut in personal income tax

    Innovative construction method results in historic bridge build in Beckley

    McDonald’s employee stabs customer in neck during restroom robbery

    Pedestrian struck and killed by vehicle in Oak Hill

    Coal Fact for the Day: Rolling Coal on the River

    West Virginia Wesleyan College MBA Class Visits Mister Bee Potato Chips, Focuses on Challenges

    Capito, Miller respond to President Biden’s State of the Union address

    Character writing workshop scheduled at New River CTC

    Catbirds, Mockingbirds, and catch and release turkeys

    • Breaking
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      Members of the Navy work on a device on a vessel along the InterCoastal Waterway in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. Using underwater drones, warships and inflatable vessels, the Navy is carrying out an extensive operation to gather all of the pieces of the massive Chinese spy balloon a U.S. fighter jet shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

      Navy divers begin pulling up Chinese spy balloon debris

      Biden aims to deliver reassurance in State of Union address

      A man carries the body of an earthquake victim in the Besnia village near the Turkish border, Idlib province, Syria, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. A powerful earthquake has caused significant damage in southeast Turkey and Syria and many casualties are feared. Damage was reported across several Turkish provinces, and rescue teams were being sent from around the country. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

      Rescuers scramble in Turkey, Syria after quake kills 3,400

      Photo Credit: Shutterstock

      Willie Nelson bests Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, others for ‘Best Country Album’ award

      Today is National Weatherperson’s Day

      China says US shooting down balloon a ‘serious violation of international practice,’ threatens repercussions

      US downs Chinese balloon over ocean, moves to recover debris

      House passes immigration enforcement bill

      David William McConnell, 38, of Charlotte, NC

      Charlotte man sentenced to 10 years in prison for traveling to Beckley to have sex with minors

    • Politics

      WV Senate proposes 15% cut in personal income tax

      Capito, Miller respond to President Biden’s State of the Union address

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      UPDATE: Restructured math class for trade students bill passes unanimously through House

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      Biden 2024? Most Democrats say no thank you: AP-NORC poll

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      WV Senate proposes 15% cut in personal income tax

      McDonald’s employee stabs customer in neck during restroom robbery

      Coal Fact for the Day: Rolling Coal on the River

      West Virginia Wesleyan College MBA Class Visits Mister Bee Potato Chips, Focuses on Challenges

      Senate Transportation advances bill requiring learner’s permit holders display “Student Driver” on vehicle

      House HHR Committee Advances Five Bills and Rejects One

      House approves bill to create vocational math class

      West Virginia House OKs bill to encourage more birth centers

      Summersville officers honored for lifesaving Narcan administration

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Former Veteran Affairs doctor sentenced to prison for sexual abuse of veterans

Gailyn Markham by Gailyn Markham
Tuesday, March 16, 2021 10:36 am

WASHINGTON — A former doctor of osteopathic medicine who previously worked at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, was sentenced today for depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law by sexually abusing them.

U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Jonathan Yates, 52, of Bluefield, Virginia, to 300 months in prison and three years of supervised release, announced Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory B. Friel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Michael B. Stuart of the Southern District of West Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Christman of the Pittsburgh Division of the FBI, and VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal.

Yates previously pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2020, to three felony counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. According to the plea documents, Yates rubbed the genitals of two veterans and digitally penetrated a third veteran’s rectum under the guise of legitimate medicine, when in fact he acted without a legitimate medical purpose. This conduct, performed while Yates was acting under color of law in his capacity as a VA physician and a federal employee, deprived the veterans of their constitutional right to bodily integrity and caused them pain. According to the plea documents, the veterans had sought treatment from Yates to manage chronic pain through osteopathic manipulative therapy. Several veterans addressed the court at sentencing, describing the trauma and mental anguish that Yates had caused them. Yates surrendered his medical licenses as a condition of his plea agreement.

“The sentence today reflects the seriousness of this defendant’s misconduct. In a despicable betrayal of his oath, he used his specialized medical knowledge and expertise to sexually abuse his own patients. He has now been held accountable,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory B. Friel of the Civil Rights Division. “It is a testament to the bravery of our veterans that so many came forward to bring this defendant to justice.”

“Military veterans who serve and sacrifice to protect our nation deserve only the best of care. Yates betrayed his oath as a physician and the veterans under his care,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Stuart for the Southern District of West Virginia. “Today, Yates has been called to account for his heinous acts. While his prison sentence will not undo the significant harm Yates inflicted on the victims, we hope that it will ease their pain. I want to commend the incredible work of the FBI and the Department of Veterans Affairs-OIG in this investigation. I also want to thank the victims and their families for their unwavering support during the prosecution of this case.”

“Yates committed hideous crimes in a hospital room, which should be a sanctuary for patients,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. “The facts of this case are disgusting and these patients and their families deserved better care. While today’s sentence won’t take away what happened to these patients who dedicated their lives in service to our nation, Yates will never be able to hurt anyone again. Hopefully, this will serve as justice for his victims.”

“This sentence is the culmination of the exceptional work of the Office of the Inspector General special agents and our law enforcement partners,” said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal. “Our thoughts are with the veterans who suffered horrific abuse by a doctor entrusted with their care, and we remain vigilant in our efforts to keep all VA patients safe from harm.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Veterans Affairs Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg McVey of the Southern District of West Virginia, and Assistant Chief Kilby MacFadden of the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia at http://www.wvsd.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.wvsd.uscourts.gov/

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Gailyn Markham

Gailyn Markham

Gailyn Markham is a multimedia journalist for Lootpress. She joined the Lootpress staff in November of 2020. Gailyn graduated from Concord University in May of 2019 with a BA in English Journalism and a minor in Sociology. During her time there, she was a staff writer for the school’s newspaper, “The Concordian,” and received the 2019 Outstanding Journalist Award for her work. Before joining the Lootpress team, Gailyn interned for The Register-Herald and, upon completing her internship, was asked to continue working as a freelance writer. She freelanced for the newspaper for two years. A West Virginia native, Gailyn has always been devoted to telling the stories of the Mountain State. When she isn’t working, she enjoys taking advantage of West Virginia’s many outdoor adventures, reading, and renovating her home with her husband, Chris. For news tips or story ideas, email Gailyn at gailynmarkham@lootpress.com. You can also follow her on Facebook.

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