Dr Ricardo Cruciani Bio – Dr Ricardo Cruciani Wiki
Ricardo Cruciani died by hanging, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told CNN on Tuesday. The Manhattan neurologist recently convicted of sexually assaulting, abusing and raping six of his patients died by suicide at Rikers Island on Monday, authorities said.
AGE:
Ricardo Cruciani was 68 years old.
DETAIL OF INCIDENCE:
A former Manhattan neurologist convicted late last month of sexually abusing his patients died by suicide this week inside a New York City jail, PEOPLE confirms.
New York City Police Department sources tell people that 68-year-old Dr Ricardo Cruciani was found dead at about 6 a.m. Monday in the shower area of the Eric M. Taylor Center on Rikers Island.
The sources confirm that Cruciani hung himself.
On July 29, after a month-long trial, Cruciani was found guilty on 12 counts of predatory sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape and other crimes.
Prosecutors had said he purposely got his patients addicted to powerful pain medications and later threatened to withhold their prescriptions unless they performed certain sexual acts.
Cruciani was set to be sentenced on Sept. 14. He had faced a possible life sentence.
Cruciani was also facing federal charges in an indictment that accused him of abusing multiple patients for more than 15 years at his offices in New York City, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The disgraced physician once chaired the neurology department at Philadelphia’s Drexel University.
Cruciani surrendered his medical license in 2017 as part of a plea deal in a separate case.
Six women he had treated in 2012 at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City — now known as Mount Sinai Beth Israel — accused Cruciani of developing personal relationships with them, and using his psychiatric training to ask personal questions.
The victims all said he would initiate physical contact with them by stroking their hair.
He also complimented their appearances and gave them uncomfortably tight hugs, prosecutors said at trial.
Terrie Phoenix, one of the victims who testified against Cruciani during his criminal trial, told The Washington Post: “I take comfort knowing he now faces another judge.”