Doctor charged in bomb plot against state med board chairman

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