Oral Surgeon Allegedly Supplied Girlfriend With Drugs That Killed Her

A 48-year-old oral surgeon in Montgomery County, Maryland, has been arrested for allegedly supplying his girlfriend with drugs that led to her fatal drug overdose.

Dr. James Ryan was arrested at his practice in Germantown Tuesday in connection with the Jan. 26 overdose death of Sarah Harris, 25, at the Clarksburg home he leased, the Montgomery County Police Department said in a statement.

Ryan faces several charges, including second-degree depraved-heart murder, reckless endangerment and possession of controlled dangerous substances with intent to distribute, WBAL-TV reported.

Police found bottles of propofol, ketamine, diazepam and midazolam at Ryan's home, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said.

They also found hypodermic needles, syringes and tourniquets, the chief added.

“These bottles are not the type of medication that would normally be dispensed from a pharmacy, and are usually reserved for clinical, medical settings,” Jones said, according to The Washington Post.

Harris was a former patient of Ryan who began working in Ryan's practice as a surgical technician in October 2020, Montgomery police said. The two began a romantic relationship around January 2021, while she worked at Ryan’s clinic.

The two lived together in Ryan's Clarksburg home, and their relationship continued until her fatal overdose on Jan. 26.

The manner of Harris’ death was ruled by the medical examiner as “undetermined,” but the cause was listed as ketamine and diazepam intoxication, WBAL-TV reported.

Investigators obtained messages between Ryan and Harris where the latter asked the oral surgeon for different types of drugs from his practice. The dentist allegedly told her he’d get them.

“Dr. Ryan also provided instructions on how she could make the effects of some of the drugs more potent,” Jones said, according to WTOP.

“Additionally, he mentions bringing home and/or providing saline, fluids, needles, IV poles to aid in the administration of drugs or in the recovery from the effects,” he added.

Investigators discovered that Harris also was administered ketamine, an anesthetic, while she was asleep, according to the police chief.

On the day of Harris’ death, Ryan claimed he went to bed at about 10:30 p.m. with Harris still downstairs and OK. He claimed that when he went down the next morning, he found Harris unresponsive on the couch with used hypodermic needles and various vials of controlled dangerous substances bottles nearby.

Ryan, who was ordered held without bond in District Court Wednesday, has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 15.

If convicted of his charges, he could face a total of 78 years in prison.