Ark. Doctor Convicted In Bomb Attack Against Head of Medical Board
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CBS/AP) An Arkansas doctor accused of seeking revenge on a state medical board that frequently disciplined him was convicted Monday of masterminding a homemade bombing attack against the head of the state medical board - despite the lack of forensic evidence.
Dr. Randeep Mann, 52, could be sentenced to life in prison for his role in the bombing attack that almost killed Dr. Trent Pierce outside of Pierce's West Memphis home Feb. 4, 2009.
According to prosecutors, Mann was resentful toward the medical board that continuously sanctioned him for over-prescribing pain medication to patients. The medical board, which Pierce led, revoked Mann's authority to prescribe narcotics after complaints surfaced that 10 of his patients overdosed and died.
Prosecutors told jurors that they don't believe Mann planted the bomb in Pierce's driveway himself, but do think he ordered someone else to do it. No one has been charged with planting the bomb.
During the course of the trial prosecutors admitted that in-depth testing of the materials collected from the crime scene--a spare tire, a hand grenade, duct tape and a piece of string used to pull the pin--did not match materials found in and around Mann's home in Pope County, approximately 200 miles away from where the incident occurred.
"In this case it was difficult, however we had a lot more evidence than just forensic evidence," said assistant U.S. attorney Karen Whatley.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence prosecutors presented to jurors was an e-mail from Mann to his brother in India. The subject line read "Pierce" and a photograph of the doctor was enclosed with the text, "I hope this picture is good."
A friend of Mann's also testified that the doctor told him time after time that members of the Arkansas State Medical Board need to "suffer like he suffered."
The jury deliberated for more than two days before delivering its verdict. Before it was read, Mann smiled at his children and other family members who were seated in the courtroom gallery. Pierce, whose face is freckled with bits of black tire embedded in his skin from the bombing, was not present in the courtroom Monday because he was tending to patients in his West Memphis medical clinic.
Mann was convicted of using a weapon of mass destruction, destroying a vehicle with an explosive, obstruction of justice and illegally possessing 98 grenades and a machine gun. He was acquitted of illegally possessing a shotgun.