VA Psychiatrist Had Inappropriate Sexual Contact with His Patient

A VA psychiatrist faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to witness tampering after having a sexual relationship with a female patient.

A psychiatrist with the Department of Veterans Affairs had inappropriate sexual contact with a patient he was treating and also pleaded guilty this week to witness tampering according to the Department of Justice.

Stephen Lester Greer, age 57, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma was arraigned and pleaded guilty to the charge in the indictment returned by the Grand Jury on August 16, 2017. The case is a result of an investigation by the VA Office of Inspector General.

Acting United States Attorney Douglas A. Horn stated:

Dr. Greer was a staff psychiatrist at the VA Hospital in Muskogee, Oklahoma. His job was to treat and protect our veterans who visited that facility for medical care. Instead, Dr. Greer violated his oath as a doctor by having inappropriate sexual contact with a female veteran that he was treating. When VA hospital administrators discovered the impropriety, Greer attempted to cover-up his actions by coaching the female veteran to lie to federal law enforcement officers. Special agents of the Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General conducted a thorough investigation and worked extensively and professionally with the victim to bring Dr. Greer to justice.

Tulsa World also reported that the indictment alleges that Greer advised the woman to lie about several things, including their sexual relationship, financial assistance he gave to her, the paternity of the woman’s baby and the hotel rooms they shared.

The indictment also states that Greer began seeing the woman in question in January 2015 as a patient in the Behavioral Health Unit of the VA Medical Center. They then exchanged numbers and began seeing each other sometime during 2015 while Greer continued to maintain a professional as well as romantic relationship with the woman.

According to FedsDataCenter.com, Greer made $231,335 in FY 2016 as a medical officer for the VA in Muskogee.

In what could be a coincidence, a psychiatrist with the same name and in the same part of the country was accused in 2005 of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a patient by the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision who penalized Greer along with one other doctor.

According to a 2005 article from NewsOK, Dr. Stephen Lester Greer of Tulsa, age 44 at the time, “engaged in sexual acts at the same time he was maintaining a doctor patient relationship and prescribing controlled dangerous substances to his patient, according to a complaint filed by the licensure board.”

Greer testified at the time that he was giving financial assistance to the woman because she had been in an abusive relationship with her husband.

As to the recent charges announced by the Justice Department, Greer faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for witness tampering.

About the Author

Ian Smith is one of the co-founders of FedSmith.com. He has over 20 years of combined experience in media and government services, having worked at two government contracting firms and an online news and web development company prior to his current role at FedSmith.