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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
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SDNY COURTHOUSE, Dec 2 –  A former pain management doctor who has been indicted for sexually abusing female patients in three states for fifteen years was offered bail conditions to be released on the evening of October 20. Inner City Press was there, and again on October 21 when he was arraigned in a yellow prison jumpsuit.   

Mid-day it was announced that "Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RICARDO CRUCIANI was arrested this morning and charged in connection with his sexual abuse of numerous pain management patients over the course of over 15 years.  The Indictment unsealed today alleges that from at least in or about 2002 up to and including at least in or about 2017, CRUCIANI enticed and induced multiple victims to travel to his medical offices in New York, New York, Hopewell, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to subject them to unlawful sexual abuse.  CRUCIANI was arrested this morning and is expected to be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger in Manhattan federal court."  

  After a case in which Magistrate Judge Lehrburger granted the US Attorney's Office's request to detain in the MDC jail in Brooklyn until trial an asthmatic man from Burkina Faso, employed in food delivery, for enticing two 14-year old girls to have sex, Cruciani was brought in.  

Cruciani wore a sweater and blew a kiss to a woman in the gallery, where Inner City Press was the only media.

The Assistant US Attorney said that with Cruciani's retained (self-paid) lawyer a bail package had been agreed to: a $2 million personal recognisance bond signed by three financially responsible people and secured by properties in Winwood, Pennsylvania and Jersey City, New Jersey. Cruciani worked at Mount Sinai. There is a petition online here.

  On October 21 the assigned District Judge, John P. Cronan, held Cruciani's arraignment. Inner City Press live tweeted it here:

Cruciani Day 2: 15 hours after initially closed presentment, Inner City Press is here in 24A for his arraignment. 

Cruciani has been brought in in yellow prison jump suit. My wife is in the gallery, with Inner City Press. Cruciani has an additional lawyer, Elizabeth Macedonio. Cronan notes he knew (of) her, when he was a prosecutor.

AUSA Kim: We agreed to bail. But he must meet the conditions. Cruciani says yes, in a croaking voice. His lawyer, Mark Furman's colleague, interprets for him: pleads Not guilty.

AUSA Kim says Cruciani pled guilty in Pennsylvania - and got only probation. NYS Supreme criminal trial in Spring 2022, then a Jersey state case.

 After Cruciani's counsel filed to be released from representing him, Judge Cronan issued this deadline: ORDER as to Ricardo Cruciani. On December 2, 2021, the parties appeared in court regarding defense counsel's request to be relieved as counsel on this matter and that new counsel be appointed to represented Defendant pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act. It is hereby ordered that Defendant shall provide an affidavit sworn under oath and under penalty of perjury, providing a detailed picture of his assets and liabilities, including: The balance on any accounts in Defendant's name, either individual or joint, for every year on January 1st going back to 2017 (January 1, 2017, January 1, 2018, January 1, 2019, January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021). The balance on any accounts in Defendant's name, either individual or joint, as of the date of the affidavit. Any transfers of more than $1,000 that were made from any accounts in Defendant's name, either individual or joint, including but not limited to any money moved to accounts of Defendants wife or other family members. Any investment accounts or other investments going back to January 1, 2017, and any money that is coming in from investments such as dividends. Any property holdings, including residences or cars, in Defendant's name, either individual or joint, going back to January 1, 2017, including when the property was moved out of Defendant's name. Any income received by Defendant since January 1, 2017. Significant expenses of Defendant since January 1, 2017. Defendant is permitted to file the affidavit under seal and the affidavit must be filed no later than January 18, 2022. By December 8, 2021, Defendant shall advise the Court regarding whether he is able to submit the affidavit by an earlier date. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge John P. Cronan on 12/2/21)."

  To remember: upon Inner City Press' application, Michael Avenatti's financial affidavit was nearly entirely released, revealed links to PPP loans. And here?

  Inner City Press will stay on these case. The disparity with the Burkinabe food deliveryman was not explained. (To be fair, the SDNY is generally open, see for example orders by Judges Jed S. Rakoff here and Jesse M. Furman on Avenatti, here).

This case is US v. Cruciani, 21-cr-636 (Cronan) 

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