A Tucson psychiatrist indicted on 76 counts of sex-crime and prescription-drug charges is a fugitive after court records show he fled to Pakistan.
Dr. Muhammad Saeed was indicted in December on 35 counts of sexual abuse, two counts of sexual assault, eight counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, 26 counts of obtaining and procuring the administration of a dangerous drug and five counts of obtaining and procuring the administration of a narcotic drug, according to Pima County Superior Court documents.
Saeed, who is certified in psychiatry and internal medicine, practiced in Tucson from about 2008 to 2020, according to court documents. About June 2020, Saeed shut down his Tucson practice and moved to Philadelphia to work at a hospital. He specializes in treating people with bipolar disorder, depression, schizoaffective disorder and seasonal affective disorder, according to his latest position with the Eastern Pennsylvania Physician Alliance, LLC in Philadelphia.
Each of Saeed’s 76 charges are felonies.
The case so far
The federal Drug Enforcement Agency first began investigating Saeed between October 2021 and December 2021, court records show. Saeed was notified that he was the focus of the investigation.
The DEA agent leading the initial investigation first sought records for 13 patients, according to a letter submitted by one of his former defense lawyers.
Saeed is accused of administering dangerous and narcotic drugs to the eight patients over the span of approximately 11 years, from 2008 to 2019, according to the December indictment .
Saeed is accused of administering about 11 types of drugs, with each patient being given more than one drug throughout their time as his patients, according to the indictment. The types of drugs allegedly administered included Clonazepam, Lorazepam, Phentermine, Dextroamp-Amphetamine, Fioricet, Alprazolam, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Carisoprodol, Tramadol, Zolpidem and Lisdexamfetamine, the indictment shows.
In addition to administering drugs, Saeed is also accused of sexually abusing patients for different spans of time, ranging from a few months to even a few years, the indictment shows. Saeed allegedly fondled the breast of some patients and some counts include "digital penetration," records show.
The timeline of court dates
Saeed's initial arraignment date was set for Jan. 2 this year, but he did not show up. His attorney at the time told the court Saeed was unaware of the hearing date and it was postponed unto Jan. 16. He also skipped that hearing.
Saeed was in Islamabad, Pakistan by the time the second hearing took place, documents show.
His reasons for leaving the country include an ailing family member situation as well as his intent to sell ancestral property to collect funds for his legal fees, records show..
Saeed flew to Islamabad on Jan. 15, on what is believed to be a one-way ticket, records show. Court documents also show that Saeed bought a return ticket to the U.S. for Jan. 29, but there is no confirmation as of now that he is back.
Prosecuting Attorney Struckmeyer and Defense Attorney Ansinelli were contacted for a comment by the Star but were unable to be reached.
An arrest warrant was issued by the court during the Jan. 16 hearing. In this hearing, Assistant Attorney General Sterling Struckmeyer asked for a $250,000 bond. The court set it at $500,000, citing the charges leveled in the case.
The next court date is set for April 11.
