Lawyers for women abused by disgraced Queens physician Zhi Alan Cheng say newly highlighted court material goes even further than earlier allegations, accusing the former doctor of not only filming himself raping and abusing unconscious women but also recording himself groping a dying patient on a ventilator and feeding tube at NewYork‑Presbyterian Queens. The claim, raised in civil suits and court filings, layers more disturbing detail onto a case that has already produced guilty pleas, a multiyear prison sentence, and a permanent ban on Cheng practicing medicine, while sparking scrutiny of hospital oversight and of how powerful sedatives were obtained and handled.
According to reporting by the New York Post, attorney Nicholas Liakas says court papers now on file include an allegation that Cheng recorded himself groping a patient in May 2022 who was “nearing the end of her life” and on life support. Liakas and other lawyers for victims say those allegations were detailed in recent filings that ask judges to throw out Cheng’s plea deal and force a fuller accounting of where hospital‑grade sedatives came from. If substantiated, the new claim would add to the list of alleged victims and further sharpen questions about internal reporting and oversight at the hospital.
New details in civil suits
Liakas Law and Slater Slater Schulman first brought a civil complaint against NewYork‑Presbyterian in June 2023, describing an alleged June 2021 episode in which a patient says she was injected through her IV, quickly lost consciousness, and later learned that law enforcement had recovered video of the assault, according to the firms’ press release. That filing claims hospital staff conducted an internal lineup, failed to notify police, did not collect forensic evidence, and allowed Cheng to keep treating the patient, claims the hospital has disputed while maintaining it cooperated with investigators. The civil cases have since become a central tool for survivors pressing for disclosure about alleged patient‑safety failures and about how sedatives inside the hospital were obtained and stored.
Charges and indictments
The Queens District Attorney’s office expanded its indictments in March 2024 after another patient came forward, saying prosecutors had filed more than 60 counts against Cheng and that investigators recovered videos and other evidence during searches of his home and electronic devices, according to a DA press release. The DA’s office noted Cheng was arrested on Dec. 27, 2022, and has been held without bail while authorities investigated, and it urged anyone who believes they may have been victimized to contact its Special Victims Bureau.
Guilty pleas and sentence
As the criminal case advanced, Cheng pleaded guilty in June 2025 to multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse and, in August 2025, received a 24‑year state prison sentence, as reported by AP News. Prosecutors said the evidence showed Cheng abused seven women, including three patients who were sedated during medical procedures, and that some of the assaults were captured on his devices. Local coverage by Hoodline previously laid out the criminal timeline, Cheng’s plea and sentencing, and the fallout that followed the judge’s August sentence.
Survivors slam the plea
Survivors and their attorneys have publicly blasted the plea agreement as far too lenient, arguing it leaves key questions unanswered about uncharged videos and about how Cheng may have obtained hospital‑grade anesthetics, according to NBC New York. NBC reported that Nicholas Liakas said his clients had asked a judge to reject the district attorney’s deal and denounced it as a “sweetheart” arrangement that did not force full disclosure about the drugs or about other possible victims. Those objections have fueled fresh calls from victims’ lawyers for deeper oversight and potential additional inquiries.
Hospital response and wider scrutiny
NewYork‑Presbyterian has maintained that it cooperated with law enforcement and has put in place enhancements to patient‑safety protocols, a hospital spokesperson told AP News. Attorneys pursuing civil suits have pointed to the hospital’s prior abuse scandal and a related settlement when framing their complaints, and the June 2023 filings called for a clear accounting of internal practices and safeguards. State officials have also recently pressed the health system for reforms, as outlined in a statement from New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Legal implications
The case now moves on parallel criminal and civil tracks: Cheng’s guilty pleas resulted in a state prison term, while surviving victims press ahead in civil court for damages and institutional accountability. Lawyers for the women have asked judges to revisit parts of the plea deal and to compel disclosure about uncharged videos and how sedatives were obtained, according to recent reporting and court materials filed with the Queens District Attorney’s office and coverage in the New York Post. Any requests for federal review or additional prosecutions remain under investigation.
The Queens District Attorney’s office has reminded the public that criminal complaints and indictments are accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, and investigations and civil proceedings in the Cheng matter remain ongoing. For further background on the plea and sentence, readers can look to Hoodline’s earlier coverage of Cheng’s guilty plea and the August 2025 sentence.
