An Austin physician has been abruptly sidelined from practicing in Texas after state regulators learned he was arrested in Florida on a manslaughter charge tied to a patient's death, according to the Texas Medical Board.
The board has temporarily suspended the Texas medical license of Dr. Samuel Byungsung Lee, saying a disciplinary panel concluded his continued practice posed "a continuing threat to public welfare." The order, issued May 27, 2026, blocks Lee from treating patients in Texas while both the board and criminal authorities continue their separate reviews.
In its suspension order, the panel cited Lee's arrest and manslaughter charge in Florida in connection with a patient's death allegedly tied to treatment that involved illicit controlled substances given without appropriate safeguards. The board said the suspension of Lee's Texas license (Lic. No. U7460) took effect immediately and was issued without prior notice.
The board added that a temporary-suspension hearing will be scheduled with 10 days' notice unless Lee waives that proceeding. The current suspension will stay in place until the board decides on further action, which could range from lifting the suspension to imposing long-term discipline.
Local coverage from KVUE confirmed the board's move and summarized the agency's statement, noting that regulators explicitly flagged Lee's continued practice as an immediate risk to public welfare.
What the suspension means
For now, Lee is barred from practicing medicine in Texas. That includes seeing patients, prescribing medication, or performing any activity that requires an active Texas medical license, while the administrative and criminal processes move forward on their own tracks.
Under the Texas Administrative Code, a temporary suspension with notice is handled by a board panel that can consider documentary evidence and witness testimony under a more relaxed evidentiary standard than a full-blown trial. After that hearing, the Texas Medical Board may factor in the ultimate outcome of any related criminal case when deciding on final discipline.
Because these suspension hearings are considered ancillary to other board proceedings, the emergency order can remain in force independently of whatever happens in a Florida courtroom. In plain English, the Texas Medical Board does not have to wait for a criminal verdict to keep a physician off the job if it believes patients could be at risk.
Context
This is not the first time a doctor has faced both criminal charges and professional discipline tied to allegations involving controlled substances. In recent years, prosecutors in multiple states have pursued manslaughter or similar counts when patients died after being given drugs that were allegedly prescribed or administered outside accepted standards of care.
Regulators often respond quickly in such cases. Coverage in outlets such as Becker's Hospital Review shows that criminal prosecutions and medical licensing actions frequently unfold in parallel, with very different standards of proof and timelines.
What happens next
The Texas Medical Board says it will schedule a temporary suspension hearing with notice to Lee unless he chooses to waive it. After that proceeding, the board could lift the suspension, modify it with restrictions, or move toward a final disciplinary order based on the evidence before it and the status of the criminal case.
Meanwhile, the manslaughter case in Florida will be handled by prosecutors and courts there, separate from the board's administrative process in Texas. A criminal charge is an allegation, not a finding of guilt, and both tracks will continue under their own rules and timelines.
In its release, the board listed its media contact as [email protected] and phone 512-305-7030 for anyone seeking additional information about the case or the suspension process.
