GERMANTOWN, MD – A 48-year-old Germantown dentist has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder after a young woman co-worker who he was romantically involved with overdosed on drugs he illegally prescribed for her.
Dr. James Ryan, an oral surgeon with a practice on Observation Drive in Germantown faces multiple felony charges after being arrested at his dental practice.
Ryan, an oral surgeon with a practice on Observation Drive in Germantown, was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 25-year-old Sarah Harris.
“Harris, a former patient of 48-year-old Ryan, began working in Ryan’s practice as a surgical technician in October of 2020. They began a romantic relationship around January of 2021, while she worked at Ryan’s practice. The two lived together in Ryan’s Clarksburg home,” the Montgomery County Police Department said in a statement. “The relationship between the two continued until her fatal overdose on January 26, 2022. Ryan had been providing controlled substances, including Propofol, Ketamine, Diazepam, and midazolam, to Harris.”
The MCPD said reported earlier this year that on January 26, 5th District officers responded to the 13900 block of Godwit Street in Clarksburg, for an overdose. Montgomery County Fire Rescue responded and attempted life-saving measures, but Sarah Harris was pronounced dead on the scene.
Montgomery County police arrested Dr. Ryan following an extensive investigation and he is being held in the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.