An Arkansas doctor was indicted by the federal court yesterday in the bombing of the chairman of that state's medical board last February. The charged doctor, 51-year-old Randeep Mann, previously had been reprimanded twice by the board--and in particular by Dr. Trent Pierce--for overprescribing drugs, and in 2006 was banned from prescribing drugs, the New York Times reports.
"We believe that very dedication--exemplified through [Pierce's] service on the Arkansas State Medical Board--was what caused him to be targeted by Dr. Mann in this heinous act," Jane Duke, U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, said in a statement.
On Feb. 4, 2009, Pierce was injured by an explosion in front of his home. Mann was charged with "using and conspiring to use a ‘weapon of mass destruction' against a person and property within the United States. He also was charged with "maliciously" damaging a vehicle with an explosive, and "unlawfully possessing contraband" while in federal custody.
Mann is a licensed firearms dealer, but did not register some of those arms, the Times reports. In a search of Mann's home, several weapons were discovered, including two grenade launchers with several rounds of ammunition and a machine gun, among other things. Mann's wife Sangeeta, also was changed in the case for both obstruction and making a false statements to the grand jury.
To learn more about the case:
- read a press release about the indictment
- read the New York Times article