LAS VEGAS (TIP): Dipak Desai, a former Indian American doctor has been convicted of 27 criminal charges against him. The former Las Vegas doctor and Endoscopy clinic owner is responsible for the largest hepatitis C outbreak in the history of Las Vegas, which occurred in the year 2007. Desai had surrendered his medical license, declared bankruptcy and in the recent years, he also handed over his business to his family members. The trial took so long because of Desai’s bad health, who had to suffer several strokes in the past years. Desai along with Ronald Lakeman, his former employee at Endoscopy Clinic of Southern Nevada used vials and syringes which were already used, thus playing with the life of numerous patients. These vials were contaminated with hepatitis C virus from two different patients and reusing the same on other patients lead to the infection of nine of his patients. Apart from this, more than 100 people were affected indirectly. The medical negligence by Desai also cost the life of one of his patients, Rodolfo Meana. Lakeman was found guilty of 16 of 27 charges against him. It is bit shocking to see the increasing number of Indians involved in medical fraud in the U.S. May be, AAPI will realize its duty to counsel physicians of Indian origin to not succumb to temptation of making money through fraudulent means.