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DA drops charges against LSU-trained surgeon in high-profile rape case, claims prosecutor lied about evidence
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NEWPORT BEACH, Cali.- Officials are dropping charges against a surgeon and his girlfriend accused of rape, claiming the prosecutor behind the case lied in order to gain notoriety.
On Tuesday, the Orange County District Attorney's Office released a bombshell statement saying the former DA, Tony Rackauckas, had "fabricated" evidence against Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley.
Robicheaux was arrested in September 2018 after investigators allegedly found videos on his phone which appeared to show numerous women intoxicated by anesthesia or other means, "beyond the ability to consent or resist" and "barely responsive" to his sexual advances. Prosecutors said they received even more leads from additional victims after the news first broke.
A lengthy investigation unfolded in the weeks that followed involving encounters dating back roughly 20 years, including Robicheaux's time in college and grad school.
But a new statement released Tuesday from current DA Todd Spitzer says Rackauckas not only lied about aspects of the case but used it to bolster his chances at re-election in November 2018.
Spitzer says his office performed an extensive reevaluation of texts, video and audio recordings that allegedly corroborated the sexual assault claims. The investigation found that was not the case.
"This exhaustive review revealed there was not a single video or photograph depicting an incapacitated woman being sexually assaulted by Robicheaux or Riley. In fact, the review revealed that there was not a single independent witness who came forward to say they saw the defendants sexually assault an unconscious woman," Spitzer's statement read in part.
Based on the development, a team of prosecutors determined there was no provable evidence that the couple had committed a sexual offense.
"While I cannot undo the injustice that has already been done in this case, I can – and I will – continue to fulfill my legal and ethical obligations as the elected District Attorney of Orange County and dismiss all criminal charges against Dr. Grant William Robicheaux and Cerissa Laura Riley,” Spitzer's statement continued.
Robicheaux was previously known for appearing in a reality TV show called "Online Dating Rituals of the American Male." He was also an undergraduate at Louisiana State University and graduated from its medical school in 2007.
You can read the full statement from the district attorney's office here: http://orangecountyda.org/civica/press/display.asp?layout=15&Entry=5964
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