Criminal charges for stealing a vial of COVID-19 vaccine

HOUSTON – KPRC 2 has learned that authorities have dropped charges against an area doctor accused of stealing a vial of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Paul Doyle, attorney for Dr. Hasan Gokal, shared this statement through a representative:

“We appreciate today’s outcome and will now turn our efforts into a wrongful termination case. As I said publicly last week, an apology by Harris County Public Health and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to Dr. Gokal and his family are not enough. The agency belittled the name of this good official and took his job away for no reason. Those responsible must do more to rectify this. We also sincerely hope that this incident does not stop other medical personnel on the front line from doing everything they can to ensure that vaccines are not wasted. “

KPRC 2 has asked Harris County Health if Gokal will get his job back, but has not received a response at the time of writing.

Gokal is said to have faced a Class A Misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to one year in prison and a fine of $ 4,000. Prior to the dismissal of the charge, he was prosecuted by the Public Corruption Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a press release last week that Gokal had stolen the nine-dose vial while working at the county vaccination site in Lyndsay Lyons Park in Humble on Dec. 29, 2020.

Ogg said the case against Gokal is not over yet.

All evidence will likely be presented to a grand jury and the cause can likely be determined by the grand jury. Judges do not have exclusive authority, ”said Ogg.

Read our first KPRC 2 report to learn more about this story.