Anthem physician gets 25-year sentence

STAFF REPORT ~ 9/28/2011

Anthem physician Peter Normann, who had three patients die during plastic surgery, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder and manslaughter on Sept 20.
Normann was found guilty in Maricopa County Superior Court of second-degree murder in the deaths of Ralph Gonzalez, 33, of Scottsdale, and Leslie Ann Ray, 53 of California. He also was found guilty of manslaughter for the death of Alicia Santizo Blanco, 41, of Gilbert.
Normann lost his license in 2007 after the deaths occurred at his office, and he was arrested and later charged in October of 2008. He was accused of allowing unlicensed individuals to perform liposuction procedures.
All three deaths occurred during plastic-surgery procedures between Dec. 2006 - July 2007.
Gonzalez, 33, went into cardiac arrest during liposuction surgery in December 2006. He died at a local hospital, according to a report from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which conducted the investigation of Normann.
In April 2007, Alicia Santizo Blanco died after receiving a fat injection for cosmetic purposes from Normann. The Arizona Medical Board ruled that the fat was injected into a blood vessel and then found its way to the patient's heart and lungs. The board performed an on-site inspection that found Normann's employees had no formal medical training. That prompted the board to restrict Normann from performing any surgeries or conscious sedation until further order.
In July 2007 a third patient, Leslie Ann Ray, died at Normann's clinic after a liposuction procedure. A sheriff's report stated that Normann advised Ray that his associate, Gary Page, would be performing the surgery, but it turned out the associate was a licensed homeopathic practitioner and not licensed to perform surgery. Page was charged with manslaughter in Ray's death. The massage therapist, who assisted in surgery, has already pleaded guilty to eight counts of unlawful practice of medicine and was sentenced last year to five years in prison. The board shut down Normann's clinic that month and a sheriff's office investigation led to the charges.