Prosecutors drop the case against a Spring Hill doctor after they learn his accuser's testimony in the criminal case differed from that in a civil case.
By DUANE BOURNE
Published May 31, 2003
BROOKSVILLE - Prosecutors have dropped charges against a Spring Hill doctor who had been accused of raping a patient while she was unconscious at his office.
Friday's court action, which took less than one minute, ended an 18-month ordeal for Dr. A. Hussam Armashi, 56, of Spring Hill, who vehemently had maintained his innocence. Armashi, a native of Syria, owns the Active Pain Control Center at 12228 Cortez Blvd. in Spring Hill.
"My vindication today is the proper result of the mass of conflicting and contradictory statements made by my accusers, the forensic evidence analysis and expert reports, the medical, psychiatric and pharmacological records and the thorough investigation of the facts by my attorneys and defense team," Armashi said in a prepared statement.
The sudden move, announced during a status conference in front of Circuit Judge Richard Tombrink, came after prosecutors learned that the woman who had accused Armashi had given testimony during the criminal case that was different from testimony given during mediation of her civil case against Armashi.
"Because of this, we are unable to proceed forward with the case," assistant state attorney Peter F. Magrino said.
Magrino did not offer further details.
The status of the civil suit filed by the woman, whose name is being withheld because of the nature of the allegations, remained uncertain Friday. Her lawyer, Adam Ross Littman, did not return a phone call from the Times.
In the civil suit, the woman, who was 35 at the time, claimed that Armashi pumped her with dangerously high levels of prescription drugs, many of which knocked her out.
The suit also alleges that in July 1998 Armashi sedated her and raped her in a locked bathroom at Brooksville Regional Hospital. She got pregnant, she said, and Armashi threatened to kill her if she went to authorities.
Armashi, an anesthesiologist who is certified in pain management, was arrested in November 2001 and pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual battery on an incapacitated person.
Authorities said the woman claimed that Armashi had had sex with her at least three times between February 1998 and January 1999.
The woman had been treated at the pain control center for chronic back pain she suffered in a car wreck.
The Sheriff's Office began looking into claims made against Armashi by at least three women in March 2000. After an 18-month investigation, only one woman came forward with allegations.
"I bear ill will toward no one," Armashi said in his statement. "I pray for blessing on all those who steadfastly stood by me and fought for justice."
- Information from Times files was used in this report. Duane Bourne covers law enforcement and emergency services in Hernando County and can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to dbourne@sptimes.com
