Medic avoids prison after assault in private Springfield ambulance

A medic convicted of assaulting an unconscious woman in an ambulance will not serve any prison time and will not be required to register as a sex offender, according to court records.

Samuel Conkel, 24, of Beavercreek, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and will serve probation for five years.

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Requests for comment from defense attorney Antony Abboud were not returned.

Conkel was first charged in April of 2016 with gross sexual imposition. An affidavit by Springfield Police Detective Debra Strileckyj accused Conkel of sexually assaulting a patient as he transported her from a hospital to a care facility in the city.

“During the transport, (the victim) was in and out of consciousness due to the medication and at one point was aware of Conkel’s hand inside her shirt and bra fondling her breast,” the affidavit states.

The affidavit goes on to state that evidence was found on a blanket the victim was under, and forensic analysis linked it to Conkel.

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However, the sexual imposition charge was dismissed by prosecutors in October and refiled as aggravated assault.

Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Lisa Hoying declined to go into specifics why they moved to dismiss the imposition charge, but said as information about the case was revealed, it was the best choice.

“Based upon the facts of the case and the things we found out during the investigation of the case, we felt it best to proceed the way we did,” Hoying said.

She said the aggravated assault charge carried the same sentence, and it was important for the prosecutor’s office to make sure Conkel never worked in the medical field again. She said Conkel will not be able to lose the felony record, and that will prevent him from continuing a career in the field.

Conkel pleaded guilty to the new charge immediately, according to court records, and sentencing was put off until last month as he underwent a court-ordered evaluation.

Conkel was sentenced to five years’ probation by Clark County Common Pleas Judge Richard O’Neill. In the sentencing order, he wrote he took several factors into consideration including the record of proceedings and the seriousness and recidivism factors relevant to the offense and Conkel.

Hoying said the proseuctors and defense left sentencing up to the discretion of the court.

The sentencing order states if Conkel violates the terms of his probation, he could be sentenced to 18 months in prison. He is not allowed to leave the state without the court’s permission.

Conkel, the driver of the ambulance, ambulance company First Care Ohio, and Southbrook Health Care Center have all been sued by the victim, according to court documents. A court date has not been set in the case.

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