Preet Bharara approves a ‘nolle prosequi’ motion for Dr. Mazcuri.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Texas psychiatrist Riyaz Mazcuri, who was accused last year of criminal labor and visa violations related to his investment in an Indian cultural entertainment enterprise, has been exonerated in New York federal court, the law firm Berg & Androphy disclosed today.
U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe granted a “nolle prosequi” (do not prosecute) motion approved by Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, nearly nine months after Dr. Mazcuri and two other defendants were indicted in July 2014.
In their court filing, government prosecutors stated, “We have recently learned additional facts that call into question certain information that had been relied upon at the time of the Indictment and that undermine the credibility of witnesses the Government had expected to call at trial. Based on a review of the evidence in the case and information acquired subsequent to the filing of the Indictment, the Government has concluded that further prosecution of … the defendants, would not be in the interests of justice.”
Last year he and two other defendants were indicted for allegedly promising Indian dancers jobs in New York City at cultural events but instead forcing them to engage in prostitution on top of dancing in nightclubs for 12 to 14 hours a night, seven nights a week. Mazcuri was implicated and subsequently charged with forced labor conspiracy and visa fraud conspiracy, according to federal court records
“There is no doubt that this case has caused me irreparable damage that may follow me as long as I live,” Mazcuri said, in a statement. “I am a resilient person and will do whatever I can to use this adversity as a challenge.”
Mazcuri, a Pakistani American, has practiced medicine in Houston and in east Texas for more than two decades.
“Dr. Mazcuri’s Texas medical license is active with no restrictions. He is a good doctor who is fighting to rebuild his life,” stated Joel M. Androphy of Berg & Androphy.