N.J. Doc: I Stole Hand From Cadaver to Give to Exotic Dancer
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A doctor pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing a hand from a cadaver at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark. The hand was later found by police at the home of a stripper in South Plainfield.
Under a plea agreement, Ahmed Rashed, 26, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of third-degree theft, said Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Judson Hamlin.
Rashed will be prohibited from seeking a license to practice medicine in New Jersey while he is on probation. Hamlin said he will recommend five years of probation at Rashed's sentencing hearing, scheduled for March 1.
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"It was certainly a unique case, but one that attracted more attention than more serious crimes before and after," Hamlin said.
Rashed got to know Linda Kay, an exotic dancer, while he was a medical student. He gave the left hand to Kay, 31, during one of his visits the club where she worked, Hott 22 in Union, which features all-nude dancers.
"Our investigation revealed that she expressed an interest to him in acquiring one, and he followed through with her request," Hamlin said.
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Rashed's attorney, Kalman Geist, said his client, while a first-year medical student in 2002, removed the hand from a fully dissected cadaver that was scheduled for cremation.
"He was unaware that the act was criminal, although a lack of that knowledge is not a defense," Geist said.
"He meant no disrespect," Geist added. "It appears that this body had served its purpose."
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South Plainfield police responding to a report of a suicidal man at Kay's home in July did not find a man, but did discover the severed hand in a jar on Kay's dresser.
A grand jury indicted Kay on a receiving stolen property charge, which was resolved when she agreed to be enrolled in a supervision program for one year, Hamlin said.
Kay's attorney, Donald DiGioia, said his client will appear in court on Feb. 9 and has maintained that she is not guilty.
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He said Rashed made an error in judgment as a medical professional, "but she's not guilty of any crimes," DiGioia said. "Unfortunately, the doctor violated the trust that the hospital had in him. She's in a different situation than a medical professional."
Rashed is currently in his third-year of residency at a hospital of the Watts section of Los Angeles.
"A lot of people do things when they're 22 that they wouldn't do 10 years later," Geist said.