Nueces County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Adel Shaker taken into custody amid investigation
Nueces County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Adel Shaker, whose office has been embroiled in a months-long criminal investigation, was arrested Tuesday.
The arrest of Shaker, 62, is the latest development in the investigation by the Nueces County District Attorney's Office and the Texas Rangers, the investigative arm of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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Texas Rangers arrested Shaker on a warrant charging him with 17 counts of practicing medicine in violation of a section of the Texas Occupations Code, which governs health professionals, a jail spokesperson said in an emailed statement to the Caller-Times.
Shaker was booked into the Nueces County Jail Tuesday evening with bonds totaling $850,000, according to online jail records. Each charge carries a $50,000 bond.
It was unclear which section of the Texas Occupations Code authorities are alleging Shaker violated. The arrest warrant affidavit, which would detail the allegations against him, was not available Tuesday.
The criminal charges for violating subsections of the code — which include forging governmental documents — are Class A misdemeanors or higher depending on the offense.
Lt. Christopher Olivarez, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, confirmed the arrest to the Caller-Times on Tuesday. Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez also confirmed the arrest.
Olivarez said the Texas Rangers conducted the arrest.
Attorney Christopher Gale, who was retained by Shaker, could not be reached Tuesday by the Caller-Times for comment.
Shaker was set to retire later this year, though some Nueces County commissioners said they hoped to expedite his exit.
Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales said county officials were aware of Shaker's arrest.
More: Former Nueces County deputy chief medical examiner arrested, charged with record tampering
As of Tuesday, Shaker was still employed as the chief medical examiner for the county. However, county human resources department officials had not been able to discuss the arrest with Shaker, Canales said.
Shaker has worked at the medical examiner's office since 2014 and took the reins as the chief medical examiner in 2019, according to county human resource documents obtained by the Caller-Times.
Precinct 4 commissioner Brent Chesney said in a text message to the Caller-Times that he has called for an emergency meeting to address Shaker's employment. The meeting will possibly take place Tuesday, the earliest date possible because of the Easter holiday, Chesney said.
"The criminal justice system will deal with Dr. Shaker and that is up to law enforcement and the District Attorney. That is a separate matter from what the Nueces County Commissioners Court can do," Chesney said in the text message. "The community needs resolve on this tragic matter."
Other commissioners did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
More: District judge orders seizure of additional autopsy files from Nueces County ME's Office
In March, Dr. Sandra Lyden, who was hired as chief deputy medical examiner and then later fired by Shaker, was arrested on a warrant for tampering with or defrauding a government record, according to the arrest warrant. That charge is still pending.
Lyden, 57, is accused of knowingly providing false information on her application to the Texas Medical Board while seeking proper license to practice in the state, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Caller-Times.
Commissioners selected a California forensic pathologist — one of two to interview for the chief medical examiner position — to replace Shaker. The county planned for the replacement to start on May 3.
Kailey E. Hunt covers breaking news and public safety in South Texas. Chase Rogers covers local government and industry in South Texas. Help support more local coverage with a subscription at caller.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Nueces County chief medical examiner arrested amid investigation
