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Crime alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now.
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I'm Drew Nelson, a former Missouri pediatrician and sentenced to 20 years in prison after
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admitting he traded prescriptions for sex, photos and money from vulnerable patients.
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Craig Speagle, age 70, was sentenced in federal court in St. Louis County after pleading
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guilty to distributing controlled substances, making false statements and conspiracy.
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Prosecutors say his crimes stretched from 2014 through May of 23 and involved at least
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19 patients, many of whom he had treated as children.
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Investigators say Speagle prescribed opioids and other drugs in exchange for sex acts,
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nude photos or cash.
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They say he targeted women struggling with addiction and used that vulnerability to pressure
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In some cases, prosecutors say he arranged encounters at his office in Bridgerton or
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at the victim's homes.
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Court records show Speagle admitted he continued prescribing drugs, even when he knew patients
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had substance use disorders.
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In one case, a woman identified as NL later died from an overdose.
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Prosecutors say he also prescribed drugs to a co-defendant in exchange for sexual favors
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while knowing she was addicted and selling some of the pills.
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Federal programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, suffered more than $114,000 in losses tied
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to his prescriptions.
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After sentencing U.S. Attorney Thomas Albus, focused on the victims and what they endured.
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We kind of get sick of talking about the defendant and frankly words kind of fail you when
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you're trying to talk about what he did.
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It's enough to just survive being treated like this as a victim.
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But what we eat in the criminal justice system is for the victims to not just survive it,
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but to say, look, I've got to see this through.
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That's the heroic thing that went on today that there was accountability and that the victims
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Investigators say the case only came to light because victims came forward and reported
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He was encouraged and police detective Matt Paxton spoke about their impact.
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The courage is always greatly appreciated and again, in the cases like this, not all
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the victims come forward and it takes a lot of courage to do so.
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Spiegel also admitted lying under oath during a court hearing in 2025 while trying to challenge
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evidence taken from his phone.
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A judge called his actions a severe breach of trust and said the harm caused to victims
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Spiegel claimed his behavior was partially to blame on losing family in the Holocaust.
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Spiegel apologized in court and asked for a lesser sentence, but the judge imposed
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The case now closes with what prosecutors describe as accountability for years of exploitation
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More crime and justice names after this.
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I'm Andre Gunning, host of Betrayal.
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Season 5 follows one woman as she uncovers her husband's secret life.
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The one he led when the lights won out.
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I'm excited to share the Betrayal Season 5 story with you and want to let you know that
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Now faces preliminary charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicating and operating
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while intoxicated, endangering a person.
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Both are misdemeanors.
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She has been placed on administrative leave and stripped of her police powers.
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Police say Harris was the on-call detective Sunday evening and responded to an active investigation.
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She is assigned to the department's child abuse unit and has been working with IMPD for
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According to the department, other officers at the scene began to suspect something was
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wrong as the investigation wrapped up.
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Police reported smelling alcohol on her breath and notified a supervisor.
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A sergeant was called to the scene right away, but the time the supervisor arrived, police
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say Harris had already left in her vehicle.
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Investigators say the sergeant then called Harris and ordered her to pull over so they
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Police say she ignored that order and continued driving to her home.
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Lieutenant later met her there and also believed she was under the influence.
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Harris was taken to a hospital for a blood draw as part of the investigation.
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People say the results confirmed she wasn't intoxicated.
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She was then arrested on two misdemeanor charges.
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The case Harris originally responded to has now been reassigned to another detective
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as the department continues the internal investigation.
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A three-year-old boy taken overseas for a visit with his father, never came home and 16 years
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later his case remains unsolved.
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Elias Bodys was last seen in Sacramento, California before traveling to Morocco to visit
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his non-custodial father, Murad Al-Kanuni in 2009.
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He was supposed to return home on September 26th, but he never did.
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Investigators say the visit turned into a family abduction.
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Elias's mother, Eva Pena, went to Morocco to bring her son back.
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Court records show she was granted custody through Moroccan court.
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But before she could recover him, authorities say his father went into hiding with the child.
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Since then, there has been no confirmed contact.
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Authorities believe Elias may still be in Morocco.
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He could be with his father or possibly with other adults.
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Today he'd be around 19.
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His short brown hair and brown eyes is a birthmark on the left side of his abdomen.
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He may go by the name Eli, or the name Elias Matthew Pena.
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His father may also use the name Murad Al-Kanuni.
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The case remains active.
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Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office at 916-874-5115.
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For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite
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podcast app, with this crime alert I'm Drew Nelson.
6:22
Hi listeners, I'm Andrea Gunning, host of Betrayal.
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Season 5 follows one woman as she uncovers her husband's secret life.
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The one he led when the lights went out.
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I'm excited to share the Betrayal season 5 story with you and want to let you know that
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you can get access to all episodes of season 1, season 2, season 3, and season 4 of
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Betrayal, and every single episode of Betrayal season 5 100% add free with an I-Hart True
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Crime Plus subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.
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Plus you'll get access to all episodes of Betrayal season 5 one week ahead of everyone
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else, available only to I-Hart True Crime Plus subscribers.
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So don't wait, has Apple Podcasts search for I-Hart True Crime Plus and subscribe