Former physician Greg Salard was arraigned at Alaska First District Court in Juneau Tuesday on the charge of being a fugitive from justice.
In a story released by Alaska Native News, the charge is said to stem from an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Louisiana for the charge of Aggravated Rape. Judge Thomas Nave presided over Salard’s Tuesday afternoon hearing. Supplementary court documentation was unavailable by the Sentinel’s press time.
Salard was arrested at his Wrangell home last October following a five-month investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is currently being held at Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau, where he awaits trial in May for two federal felony charges of possession and distribution of 104 files containing child pornography.
He has pled not guilty to both charges. Salard’s trial had initially been set for January but was postponed to February and again to May as the defense prepares its case.
According to the U.S. District Attorney’s office, if convicted of both charges, Salard faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 30 years imprisonment, as well as fines of up to $250,000.
Until his arrest, Salard had served as a physician specializing in family practice with Alaska Island Community Services since 2009 and had been chief-of-staff at Wrangell Medical Center since July 2013. He is now no longer employed by either organization.
Salard’s privileges at the hospital were temporarily suspended for three weeks in 2011, following allegations of improper interaction with patients. After an internal investigation at the recommendation of medical staff, he was reinstated by the WMC Board of Trustees.
However, the board voted not to extend his privileges to the hospital that November, and following a review hearing the board decided to deny Salard’s privileges in March 2012.
Salard continued to challenge the board’s decision until after a recall election that fall recalled eight of its nine sitting members. With mostly new members and a new hospital head, Salard’s unrestricted hospital privileges were returned in Feb. 2013.
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