Ex-Researcher Pleads Guilty in Patient’s Death
- Share via
A former cancer researcher pleaded guilty in Albany to criminally negligent homicide in the death of a patient enrolled in a clinical trial at an upstate veterans’ hospital.
Paul Kornak, 53, also pleaded guilty to felony counts of mail fraud and making a false statement, admitting he forged medical records of dozens of patients at the Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center to make them eligible for drug studies and falsely claiming to be a doctor.
The homicide charge stemmed from the death of 71-year-old James DiGeorgio, an Air Force veteran who died in 2001 shortly after participating in a drug-research program for stomach cancer.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
