UPDATE: READ BRIGHAM’S INDICTMENT — CLICK HERE

Elkton, MD – Abortionist Steven Chase Brigham was arraigned today in Cecil County, Maryland, on 11-count murder indictment then was released on a $500,000 bond. He was ordered to have “no involvement in any manner in performing abortions” as a condition of his release.

Brigham posted bail this afternoon against $306,240 worth of assets. A bail bondsman posted the remainder of the $500,000 bond.

Details concerning the indictment were also made public. Brigham was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of five viable, healthy preborn babies between July 9 and Aug. 13 of 2010, at what his co-defendant Nicola Riley described as a “secret late-term abortion clinic” in Elkton, Maryland.

Four of the babies were female. The one male baby was identified in the indictment as “Male Fetus Brewer.” That little boy was the son of a patient that suffered the life-threatening botched abortion that first drew attention to Brigham’s illegal bi-state late-term abortion scheme.

Riley has been charged with a 3-count murder indictment and waits a scheduled January 9 hearing in Salt Lake City where she remain held on no bail. She is expected to be extradited to Maryland sometime after the hearing.

Operation Rescue obtained Brigham’s mug shot from the Cecil County Detention Center through an open records request.

“Brigham has a higher body count than Jack the Ripper. Considering Brigham’s penchant for repeated violations of the law, it is disturbing that he is allowed out on bail,” said Cheryl Sullenger, Operation Rescue’s Senior Policy Advisor. “The only way to protect women from being preyed upon by Brigham is to lock him up and throw away the key. Traditional discipline simply has not worked on this man in the past. We look forward to Brigham’s day in court and pray that he will be permanently put behind bars where he belongs.”

Elkton, MD – Operation Rescue has learned that abortionist Steven Chase Brigham, who is accused of ten counts of murder related to illegal late-term abortions on viable babies, was moved yesterday from the Camden County Jail in Camden, New Jersey. He is now in custody at the Cecil County Detention Center in Elkton, Maryland, where he once operated a secret late-term abortion mill.

Brigham waived extradition on January 4, clearing the way for him to be transported to Maryland where he faces five counts of first degree murder, five counts of second degree murder, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.

Meanwhile in Salt Lake City, Utah, abortionist Nicola Riley, who was charged along with Brigham for murdering viable babies in Elkton, has filed papers asking that the prosecutors and sheriff in Elkton be held in contempt of court for releasing information about her charges. She is also asking that the court documents be unsealed.

“Everyone accused of a crime would like to see their prosecutors held in contempt, but most people are rational enough to know that is unrealistic,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “This is a sign of utter desperation on her part.”

In a related case, Operation Rescue has obtained recently released documents that show that one of Brigham’s former employees, abortionist Mehrdad Aalai, had his license temporarily suspended over a horrifically botched late-term abortion that nearly killed a patient. The abortion took place at a Brigham-run American Women’s Services abortion clinic in College Park, Maryland. Brigham has never been licensed in Maryland but continues to operate at least three other clinics in that state.

Aalai began an abortion on a 29-year old woman who was 21½ weeks pregnant. He had problems removing the placenta and “other products of conception.” He informed the patient that she should see another doctor to have the placenta removed, then released her. On the way back to her home in Virginia, she stopped at a rest stop because she was bleeding heavily. Her mother discovered her slumped over the toilet with massive amounts of blood everywhere. Paramedics responding to the mother’s 911 call for help rushed her to the hospital where she had emergency surgery and a blood transfusion that saved her ebbing life. Full details of this horrific incident can be read beginning on page 12 of Aalai’s suspension order.

Aalai’s medical license was suspended for 6 months with three months stayed. He was placed on probation for two years. This sentence is offensively inadequate, considering that Aalai has previously had his medical license revoked after a criminal conviction for Medicaid fraud. His license was later restored.

“Back alley abortionists treated women better than Aalai treated this patient. The Maryland Board of Physicians are supposed to protect the public from quacks like Aalai. This is a slap on the wrist and when other women are injured or die at his hands, the MDBP will have to bear some responsibility for it,” said Newman. “Given the documented history of egregious violations, we call on the MDBP to shut down Brigham’s dangerous abortion mills immediately.”

Read OR’s investigative report on Aalai and other Brigham abortionists.

UPDATE (Jan. 5, 2012): Brigham waives extradition hearing, will be moved to Maryland to face murder charges within the next few days.
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Salt Lake City, UT – Accused murderer Nicola Riley made a brief court appearance in Salt Lake City, Utah, yesterday, her first one since being arrested on a fugitive warrant issued by Maryland authorities after a grand jury issued murder indictments for her and her associate Steven Chase Brigham.

Riley’s hearing was continued until January 9 when her attorney is expected to ask for bail and extradition back to Maryland to face charges will be considered. She is currently being held without bail. Her attorneys have stated that they want her released on bail so she can self-surrender to authorities in Maryland.

“Based on her history of dishonesty and criminal conduct, it would be unwise to trust Riley to turn herself in,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “She is being charged with murder, not jaywalking. Release on bail is inappropriate.”

Riley served three years in a Federal Military Prison at Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas after being convicted of felonies related to credit card and identity theft. She lied about her charges and incarceration to medical board authorities in three states in order to gain licensure. Operation Rescue discovered the untruths and reported her to the authorities. Her licenses have since been surrendered or restricted.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Sun has reported that Brigham, who is being held on $3 million bail in the Camden County Jail in New Jersey, is not expected to fight extradition. His hearing is scheduled for January 5.

Brigham was charged with five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of second-degree murder. Riley was charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. The charges are the result of a Grand Jury investigation. Additionally, Brigham and Riley were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder. A grand jury investigated the case for 16 months before issuing the indictments.

Additional details of the case are expected to be released at the time Brigham and Riley are arraigned and the court records unsealed.

Operation Rescue obtained public documents that paint a picture of a gruesome late-term operation that operated dangerously outside the law. Brigham is accused of illegally initiating late-term abortions between 24 and 36 weeks gestation at his Voorhees, New Jersey abortion clinic, which can only legally do abortions up to 14 weeks. He would then assemble the women in the throes of labor and have them drive in a caravan to the secret abortion clinic in Elkton, Maryland, where the abortions would be completed by either himself of Riley. Brigham has never been licensed in Maryland.

A botched abortion in Elkton, followed by suspicious behavior by Brigham and Riley caught the attention of emergency room physicians, who reported them to the authorities. Union Hospital examined and evaluated injured patient D.B. and determined that the injuries she suffered were so severe that the decision was made to transport her via helicopter to Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore where she was rushed into surgery immediately upon her arrival. There, doctors removed the remains of her partially aborted baby from her abdominal cavity, removed and repaired part of her small intestine, and repaired a tear at the back of her uterus. (See Johns Hopkins Records)

When police raided the Elkton abortion mill, they discovered the remains of 35 aborted babied stored in a freezer. Operation Rescue obtained documents seized from the clinic, including a log that indicates the size of the babies aborted at the Elkton clinic, which workers referred to as the “Grace” clinic.

“This log paints a gruesome picture of the carnage that took place at that illegal abortion clinic. These were viable babies, many of them healthy and near-term. These are abortions that are opposed by 80% of the American people. It represents a tragic and unnecessary loss of life,” said Newman.

Brigham has argued in briefs before the New Jersey Board of Physicians that since he worked under the auspices of a licensed physician in Elkton, he did nothing illegal. However, the physician he referred to was 88-year old George Shepard, Jr, whose disabled arm makes it impossible to do abortions.

“Shepard was used as a pawn in this scheme in order to give the appearance of legality,” said Newman. “In reading through his interview with the Maryland authorities, we got the strong impression that his mental capacities were beginning to fail. He was a patsy for Brigham, nothing more.”

Shepard’s medical licenses in Maryland and his home state of Delaware have since been revoked. Shepard was not charged with any crime.

This case will test the strength of Maryland’s fetal homicide law, which allows murder charges to be filed if a viable baby is killed in the commission of a crime. It is the first time it has been applied to the deaths of pre-born babies during criminal abortions.