Medical center employee sent to prison for indecent assault of female patients

NORRISTOWN — A former medical assistant at an Abington Township urgent care facility who was not authorized to perform medical examinations faces more than a decade of court supervision after he admitted to having indecent contact with or invading the privacy of 13 female patients while conducting vaginal or breast exams for his sexual gratification.

Ramon Garcia, 33, of the 6100 block of Elmhurst Terrace, Philadelphia, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 5 to 10 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges of aggravated indecent assault, attempted aggravated indecent assault, invasion of privacy and attempted invasion of privacy, indecent assault and performing actions under false pretenses in connection with inappropriate conduct he had with 13 female patients while he worked as a medical assistant at Carbon Health Urgent Care at 1585 The Fairway in the Jenkintown section of Abington between November 2023 and March 2024.

One incident also occurred at a Carbon Health Urgent Care located at 2019 Welsh Road in the Dresher section of Upper Dublin, according to court documents.

Judge Wendy G. Rothstein, who accepted a plea agreement in the matter, also ordered Garcia to complete five years of probation consecutive to parole, meaning Garcia will be under court supervision for a total of 15 years.

Garcia also faces a lifetime requirement to report his address to state police in order to comply with the state’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act, formally known as Megan’s Law.

During the sentencing hearing, the judge heard victim impact statements from several of the women.

“They talked about a really wide array of symptoms and experiences that they’ve had as a result of his conduct. They talked about having distrust of the medical community, distrust of men, fear, anxiety, depression, physical and psychological symptoms,” said Assistant District Attorney Lauren Marvel.

Garcia did not address the courtroom before his sentence was formally imposed.

Rothstein agreed with a finding by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board that Garcia meets the criteria to be classified as a sexually violent predator. That means Garcia will face more stringent restrictions while on parole and probation, including mandatory counseling.

With the charges, prosecutors alleged Garcia, who was not a nurse, took advantage of the trust that patients extend to true medical professionals and assaulted and violated them.

“This conduct was committed by someone who was trusted by the public to care for them. Even though he wasn’t a nurse he was someone working in the medical field. He was someone who was trusted to interact with patients, to take their vitals and to be a part of their care team,” said Marvel, who handled the case with co-prosecutor Margot Weitz.

“He took that trust and violated it in a way that violated the safety and the bodily autonomy of these women and violated their trust and their psychological safety in being able to feel comfortable seeking medical treatment. He did it for his sexual gratification,” Marvel said. “The fact that he violated so many people in such a brief period of time really speaks to what a danger he is.”

The investigation revealed Garcia’s job description included signing in patients, taking vital signs and, if directed by a physician, taking blood samples. Garcia was not authorized to help undress any patients and was not trained, instructed or permitted to conduct exams or observe urine sample tests.

Garcia was employed as a medical assistant and was not a licensed nurse.

Garcia originally was arrested on March 11, 2024, for inappropriate contact he had with two females while working at the urgent care.

The first female told police March 1 that when she went to the facility at 1585 The Fairway in Jenkintown for a pre-employment drug screening, Garcia told her to urinate into a cup and he told her she had been randomly selected to “be observed,” and he watched the victim pull up her dress and urinate into the cup. Afterward, Garcia gave her his phone number and asked if she would go on a date with him, detectives alleged.

A second female told police that when she went for treatment on March 9, Garcia identified himself as her nurse and, after leading the victim to an examination room, he told her to undress and he put on latex gloves and conducted a pelvic exam. Garcia then moved his head toward the victim’s pelvic area and she said, “No,” and got dressed.

Additionally, Garcia made verbal advances, asking the second woman if she was in a relationship or had any fantasies. Garcia also gave the victim his phone number before she left the office, according to court papers.

Following Garcia’s March 11 arrest, additional women who had sought medical help at the urgent care center contacted police to share information concerning their encounters with Garcia.

Prosecutors said the Abington Police Department conducted an outstanding investigation and praised the victims who came forward for showing great courage and strength.

“This case is such a great example of the power of speaking up. The first two young women that came forward did not know that there was anyone else who was victimized by this person. They knew that something happened to them and they felt empowered enough to go forward and talk to police,” Marvel said. “The power of someone coming forward and saying this happened to them has such a huge impact on other people feeling safe enough and supported enough to come forward too.”

The additional victims shared information that Garcia performed two physical exams of victims’ genitals and surrounding areas; performed a hands-on breast exam; watched as patients changed into medical gowns and in a couple of instances, photographed parts of their bodies; placed a victim’s hands on his leg/groin area while drawing her blood; and secretly photographed or videotaped patients in exam rooms or the bathrooms of the medical facility.

Garcia also gave his phone number to multiple patients and made inappropriate comments about them and their bodies, including telling a woman she was beautiful and asking if she would be a model for his teeth whitening business, according to a criminal complaint filed by Abington Township Detective Jeffrey Anderson.

One of the victims has filed a civil lawsuit in Philadelphia against Garcia, Carbon Health and others.

“Victims of the Carbon Health sexual assaults have rights and protections under the law,” said Robert T. Lynch, a lawyer at Hoffman, Sternberg, Karpf and Lynch. “We are seeking to hold Carbon Health fully accountable for what we believe was a systemic pattern of sexual assaults against their own patients.”

The victim is represented by the law firms of Hoffman, Sternberg, Karpf & Lynch and Stampone O’Brien Dilsheimer Holloway.