Sep 24, 2004 By Patty Shultz 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – A Pittsburgh attorney representing a former city physician charged with hitting and injuring his brother-in-law has requested a preliminary hearing in the case be continued to a later date. Attorney Paul Gettleman, legal counsel for Mark Fremd, received authorization from District Justice Ronald Haggerty to reschedule the Thursday preliminary hearing because of a prior commitment.

Connellsville police charged Fremd, 49, of 205 Carnegie Ave., in August with single counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment, and two counts of disorderly conduct in connection with a June incident in which he allegedly struck Ronald Ahlborn on the head with a metal flashlight.

Police said the two men were painting a house belonging to Fremd when an argument over money Fremd owed to Ahlborn escalated into a fight that resulted in Ahlborn’s injury.

A new date for the hearing has yet to be set, but it will not take place before Fremd is scheduled to report to Fayette County Prison in an unrelated matter.

Last week, Fayette County Judge Steve P. Leskinen ordered the former physician to begin serving his 18- to 36-month sentence for drug offenses and insurance fraud on Oct. 1.

In 2003, Fremd was convicted of writing drug prescriptions for people who were not his patients and billing insurance companies for services he did not provide to patients. The state attorney general filed the charges after a lengthy investigation.

After the conviction, the state licensing board revoked his license to practice medicine.

Through his attorney, Fremd filed an appeal, which delayed the implementation of the sentence.

Leskinen’s order came just days after the state Superior Court denied Fremd’s appeal in the case. He can still appeal to the state Supreme Court.

According to Nils Frederiksen, deputy press secretary for the attorney general’s office, Fremd has not filed any documents for a Supreme Court appeal.

“We’re still monitoring that situation,” he said. “There is still time to appeal to the higher court.”

Earlier, the attorney general’s office was considering taking action to withdraw Fremd’s posted bond in connection with the appeal after he allegedly violated the conditions of the bond by committing another crime.

“We’re happy with the judge’s decision to order him to begin serving his sentence,” said Frederiksen. “That precludes (the attorney general’s office) from taking any action at this time.”

Frederiksen said Attorney General Jerry Pappert has been proactive in prosecuting “diversion” cases.

Diversion, said Frederiksen, involves legal prescription substances being diverted elsewhere for illegal use.

“Since taking his oath of office earlier this year, the attorney general has made this a top priority,” he said.

“Any time legal prescription medication gets into someone else’s hands, whether it’s prescriptions being sold, prescriptions that are being forged, doctors trading prescriptions for sex, as in the Fremd case, or medically unnecessary prescriptions, are considered diversionary cases.

“We’re glad this matter is being resolved.”