Jonathan Yates, 52, of Bluefield, Virginia, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sexually abusing veterans. While employed as doctor of osteopathic medicine at the VA Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, Yates rubbed the genitals of two veterans and digitally penetrated a third veteran’s rectum under the guise of legitimate medicine. This conduct, performed while Yates was acting under color of law in his capacity as a VA physician and a federal employee, deprived the veterans of their constitutional right to bodily integrity and caused them pain. “This sentence is the culmination of the exceptional work of the OIG special agents and our law enforcement partners. Our thoughts are with the veterans who suffered horrific abuse by a doctor entrusted with their care, and we remain vigilant in our efforts to keep all VA patients safe from harm,” said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal.
