Neurologist found guilty of sexually abusing 6 patients ‘suffering from debilitating diseases’

Dr. Ricardo Cruciani was found guilty on 12 criminal counts of sexual abuse last Friday. The 68-year-old was convicted of predatory sexual assault, sex abuse, criminal sexual acts, rape, and attempted rape.

Cruciani, a once-esteemed and successful neurologist, was accused of grooming his patients and taking advantage of their severe injuries by overprescribing pain medication.

District attorney Alvin Bragg stated that Cruciani “left in his wake six survivors who continue to suffer from debilitating diseases, and now, years of trauma.”

The six women testified that the abuse took place during appointments in 2013. Often behind closed doors, Cruciani would expose himself and demand sex, they stated.

One witness testified, “He didn’t finish writing my prescriptions until I did something for him.”

Hillary Tullin, another victim of the disgraced doctor, publicly talked about the abuse she experienced. Adding to the mounting evidence against Cruciani, Tullin reported him to the sex abuse hotline in 2017. She told the hotline that the doctor had abused her from 2005 to 2013.

Following the guilty verdict, Tullin stated, “Mr. Cruciani and his lawyers were indefatigable in their attempts to portray me and the other witnesses as liars but the truth prevailed.” Tullin continued, “What happened to us is real, it’s traumatic, and it can no longer be denied.”

The doctor maintains that he is not guilty of any abuse against his vulnerable patients. Cruciani’s attorney, Fred Sosinsky, announced on Friday that they plan to file an appeal.

Sosinsky stated, “In the end, it appears that the collective weight of six accusers, rather than a fair consideration of each of their problematic accounts, carried the day.”

In a previous case, Cruciani pleaded guilty to several misdemeanor charges. As a result, he was required to forfeit his medical license and register as a sex offender.

Federal charges will also be filed against Cruciani for the 15 years of abuse that took place at his offices in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.