In a disturbing case that has captured national attention, an Ohio surgeon faces serious legal repercussions after being accused of administering abortion pills to his pregnant girlfriend without her knowledge. This alarming accusation has led to the suspension of his medical license as he awaits a court hearing.

Hassan-James Abbas, a 32-year-old surgical resident at the University of Toledo, allegedly crushed abortion pills and placed them into his girlfriend’s mouth while she was asleep. This covert act has resulted in a series of felony charges being brought against him.

On December 3, a grand jury in Lucas County indicted Abbas on six felony counts. These charges include abduction, tampering with evidence, unlawful distribution of an abortion-inducing drug, disrupting public services, identity fraud, and deception to obtain a dangerous drug, as outlined in court documents.

The charges stem from an alleged incident involving Abbas and his girlfriend, with whom he began a relationship in 2024 after separating from his wife, according to a notice of opportunity for hearing and summary suspension provided to Fox News Digital.

The case not only raises serious ethical concerns but also highlights the potential for severe abuse of trust within personal relationships, especially when one partner possesses a significant position of authority and medical knowledge.

On Dec. 7, 2024, when the woman — referred to as “Patient 1” — told Abbas she was pregnant, he told her he wanted her to get an abortion.

When the woman said she did not want one, Abbas allegedly ordered the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol using his estranged wife’s identity without her knowledge. He later allegedly crushed the pills and attempted to force them into the woman’s mouth.

“Patient 1 woke up at 4:00 a.m. and saw that you were awake. She fell back asleep and then awoke to you physically on top of her,” the notice states. “She thought it was a hug, but then, holding her down, you took your fingers and forced a crushed powder inside her bottom lip, beside her gums. You continued to hold Patient 1 down.”

The woman left and called 911, but Abbas allegedly took her phone. She went to a hospital, where she was told the medication had ended the pregnancy.

Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

Fox News Digital has reached out to Abbas’ attorney. 

The University of Toledo said Abbas was placed on administrative leave after his medical license was suspended in November. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the State Medical Board of Ohio said it issued the notice of opportunity for hearing and summary suspension to Abbas Nov. 5.

“The matter under investigation by the state is unrelated to his role at UToledo,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “UToledo holds its employees to the highest standards of professional conduct and will cooperate with the state medical board’s investigative processes.

“A summary suspension suspends a license to practice prior to a hearing,” the statement said. “The suspension must be based on clear and convincing evidence that continued practice by the licensee poses a danger of immediate and serious harm to the public.”

The woman’s attorney told Fox News Digital that the case was one of the most “heinous” she’s been involved in. Kelle Saull said the University of Toledo and ProMedica, where he accepted a fellowship, knew about the allegations and did nothing.

“Additionally, the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office has had this case under review for the better part of a year,” Saull said in a statement. “It wasn’t until the Ohio Medical Board took (immediate) action that my client finally started to get the results she deserves.”

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for May 14-15, 2026, the board said.

“After the hearing, the Hearing Examiner will prepare a Report & Recommendation (R&R) that includes the basis for the hearing, the findings of fact, conclusions of law and a proposed disciplinary sanction for consideration by the Board members,” it said.

The notice said Abbas cannot practice medicine or perform surgeries and must refer his patients to other doctors. In addition, the medical board determined his continued practice of medicine presents a “danger of immediate and serious harm to the public.”