Long Island Hospital Worker Filmed Patients, Receives Probation
On Long Island, hospital workers announced that a former employee filmed around 13,000 patients and staff in restrooms, leading to a shocking decision by the judge to spare him prison time, which left the district attorney feeling “disappointed and disgusted.”
Sanjai Syamaprasad, 48, was placed on five years of probation after he admitted to using cameras disguised as smoke detectors to secretly record patients, employees, and even children in the bathrooms at two Sleep Disorders Centers run by Northwell Health in Manhasset.
The incident took place in April when he tampered with footage recorded in May, resulting in multiple charges.
In an attempt to dispose of incriminating evidence, he tried to throw memory cards and recording devices into a trash can near his Brooklyn residence.
District Attorney Anne Donnelly expressed her frustration after the hearing, saying, “My reaction to five years of probation is disappointing and disgusting. This case deserves prison time.” She further emphasized that the scale of the invasion—over 300 videos involving numerous individuals—should warrant a harsher sentence.
During the court proceedings, Judge Merrill Berkowitz noted that the DA could no longer influence the case after Syamaprasad accepted a plea deal for all seven charges against him.
Judge Berkowitz, who plans to retire this year after 26 years on the bench, stated that she considered Syamaprasad’s willingness to enter a treatment program and his expressed remorse.
“I’m giving you five years of probation,” she informed him, with a caveat that any violations could lead to a more severe consequence down the line.
The Northwell Health facility, where Syamaprasad worked, is currently embroiled in multiple class-action lawsuits totaling millions of dollars.
Between July 2023 and April 2024, Syamaprasad conducted overnight shifts at the Manhasset center, during which he reportedly captured numerous images of patients and staff.
Northwell has already sent letters to 13,000 potential victims, with attorneys suggesting that the actual number of affected individuals could be much larger as investigations continue to scrutinize the extensive footage.
Lawyers Benjamin Dell and Christopher Dean, who have filed a recent lawsuit regarding the incident, stated, “The damage from this breach of privacy extends beyond emotional repercussions. It disrupts our fundamental expectations of safety and decency. We want answers and accountability, along with reassurance that such violations won’t happen again.”
