According to a report in The Journal News, the chief anesthesiologist for a New York hospital decided to drug and abuse his family’s nanny because she was the “easiest target.” However, his plan backfired when the suspicious woman set up a surveillance camera and caught him in the act.
Putnam County prosecutors praised the 25-year-old woman for being brave and ready to testify against Paul Giacopelli, 60. Giacopelli pleaded guilty on Wednesday to sexual abuse in the first degree and assault in the second degree.
This person was the chief anesthesiologist at Putnam County Hospital in the Carmel town. People in charge said he abused and drugged the woman while she slept on his couch. The nanny put a spy camera behind a dryer in a turtle tank in the living room because she thought she was being abused. The charge against Giacopelli said he beat her four times.
In front of the grand jury, Sheriff’s Investigator Keith Simone said that Giacopelli told him that he had a “chloroform fetish.” According to the evidence, the suspect said that the nanny was the “easiest target” because she slept a lot.
He admitted to touching her and putting a rag that had been mixed with the narcotic Sevuflorane over her mouth and nose several times until she passed out. He admitted that he brought drugs home from the hospital, and a search warrant found fentanyl and other drugs on him.
Online state records show that the New York Department of Health banned him from practicing medicine in the state “until either the matters under investigation are finally resolved or this order is changed or revoked by the Director of the Office of Professional Medical Conduct.”
It is also said that the woman has sued Giacopelli, Northwell Health Inc., Putnam County Hospital, and Montefiore Nyack Hospital. The hospitals say Giacopelli did not act in a way that made sense for his work.
The court date for the sentencing is November 12. As part of the plea deal, Giacopelli is likely to get four years in jail and up to ten years of supervision after he gets out. He needs to sign up as a sex offender.
The DA for Putnam County, Robert V. Tendy, said, “I’m very proud of the work of the Sheriff’s Department and ADA Lynch. But I’m most proud of the victim’s courage in going through this process, which led to the defendant’s arrest and conviction.”