VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Since last August, Dr. John S. Mancoll, a well-known plastic surgeon, faced five charges including three felony possessing Schedule 1 or 2 controlled substances he was not supposed to have.
He is accused of stealing the medicine from his clients.
“But one thing is crystal clear and that is Dr. Mancoll maintains his innocence of these charges, and he hopes for a speedy resolution and ultimately complete vindication,” said Mancoll’s previous attorney, David Cardon.
It has been anything but speedy, the preliminary hearing was to take place last December.
Cardon was reminded in court Thursday there will be no more continuances, so the five state charges were nolle prosequi, or withdrawn.
They had to be because on Wednesday, Mancoll was charged with five similar charges:
- Two possession charges
- Three obtaining a controlled substance by fraud by taking a portion he had prescribed to his patient under the guise of reviewing the use and dose of the prescription.
“The charges themselves could sully that reputation, but we are hoping that the way the law works is you are innocent until proven guilty, and we look forward to the day that we can prove his innocence,” Cardon said in September.
After he was charged in Virginia Beach, he would eventually close down his Mancoll Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery office near the Princess Anne Sentara Hospital complex.
However, make no mistake, Mancoll did not shrink into the background. He opened a massive new office near Princess Anne and Sandbridge roads.
Mancoll did not return phone calls and the future of his plastic surgery business remains uncertain.
Mancoll’s new attorney James Broccoletti says the next hearing is June 29, when Dr. Mancoll will plead not guilty and request a jury trial.