Queens doctor sentenced to 24 years for raping unconscious women and abusing patients
QUEENS, NY – A former gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for sexually assaulting unconscious acquaintances and hospital patients, crimes he recorded on video, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Zhi Alan Cheng, 35, of Astoria, pleaded guilty in June to four counts of first-degree rape and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, along with an Alford plea to one additional count of sexual abuse. In addition to prison, he will serve 10 years of post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender. His medical license has been suspended.
The case began in December 2022 when Cheng was arrested for raping a female acquaintance at his apartment. That victim discovered videos showing she and other women being assaulted. A search warrant executed at Cheng’s residence uncovered digital storage devices containing recordings of unconscious women, including hospital patients under his care.
Cheng faced multiple indictments totaling more than 50 counts before consolidating his guilty pleas. Prosecutors said his victims included intimate partners as well as vulnerable patients at the hospital.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz credited the DA’s Special Victims Bureau and NYPD’s Special Victims Squad for their work in the investigation and prosecution.
Cheng will remain behind bars for more than two decades before any possibility of release, followed by strict supervision and sex offender registration.
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Key Points
- Former NewYork-Presbyterian Queens doctor Zhi Alan Cheng was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
- Cheng pleaded guilty to raping acquaintances and sexually abusing unconscious hospital patients, recording the assaults on video.
- He will serve 10 years post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender.
