The Carbon Health urgent care location in Trenton, N.J. (Credit: Carbon Health's webiste)
PHILADELPHIA – Carbon Health, which operated one of its urgent care facilities in Abington Township, had a lawsuit filed against it Monday after a former employee pled guilty to yet another charge of aggravated sexual assault.
Ramon Garcia, 34, of Philadelphia, who in December pled guilty to posing as a nurse and sexually assaulting multiple women, again pled guilty to a new criminal charge of aggravated sexual assault of a 21-year-old woman, leading to a civil suit on her behalf being filed against both Garcia and Carbon Health for allowing repeated sexual assaults of their patients to take place.
Garcia, who at the time of his employment as a medical assistant with Carbon Health, fraudulently posed as a nurse and sexually assaulted at least 12 women in examination rooms, although according to the complaint there is alleged evidence of up to 18 different victims, and there could possibly be more.
Ramon Garcia, 34, pled guilty to a new charge of sexual assault on a 21-year-old victim while posing as a nurse at a Carbon Health urgent care facility in Abington Township. (Credit: Abington Township Police Dept.)
Garcia was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison and five months probation Tuesday, and was given sexual violent predator status by Judge Wendy Rothstein at the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas on Monday.
The criminal charges have led to the civil suit being filed against Garcia, Carbon Health and others.
"Carbon Health was negligent and reckless and put profits over patient safety," Robert T. Lynch, a partner in the law firm Hoffman, Sternberg, Karpf and Lynch, one of two firms representing the 21-year-old victim in this case, told Philly Daily. "How reckless is it that the front desk guy can be left alone, repeatedly, in an examination room, where he directs patients to undress and he casually, sexually assaults them? He directed urine samples in his presence, took blood draws, performed breast and pelvic examinations... How this can occur without any proper oversight is beyond shocking. This wasn’t occurring in a back alley, it was during normal business hours of multiple Carbon Health Urgent Care locations.
"Their conduct is outrageous."
Carbon Health is based out of California and is a fledgling for-profit medical group that was started through venture capital money tied to CVS Pharmacy.
The civil suit is seeking damages from Garcia, Carbon Health, and others.
A spokesperson for Carbon Health told Philly Daily that they can not comment on any pending litigation.
The complaint, obtained by Philly Daily, alleges that Carbon Health failed to properly supervise, train, and staff their facilities, creating an environment where a sexual predator was able to fraudulently pose as a nurse and repeatedly prey on female patients.
The suit further claims that patients, in a vulnerable state, were subjected to sexual abuse under the guise of medical exams, improper viewing during states of undress, and the collection of unnecessary biological samples.
In some instances, it is alleged that photographs or videos were taken of the patients and found on Garcia's phone.
Garcia also allegedly found personal contact information for the patients and tried contacting them after their appointments to set up dates.
According to the plaintiff's attorneys, investigation into the matter has unveiled at least 18 victims, based on evidence gathered, however not all victims have come forward yet.
It is also alleged that these acts took place at three separate locations, primarily in Abington Township, but also at Carbon Health locations that were located in Dresher and Philadelphia.
“We believe that legal action through civil lawsuits is the best way for victims to have a voice, fight back, and seek justice while shining a spotlight on this deeply troubling issue,” said Kevin O’Brien, attorney at Stampone O’Brien Dilsheimer Holloway, who also represents the 21-year-old victim.
Officials originally filed 24 felony and misdemeanor criminal charges against Garcia. These charges included indecent assault without consent, aggravated indecent assault, invasion of privacy, impersonating a license holder, harassment-lewd/lascivious acts, possessing an instrument of crime as well as wiretap violations for the illegal use of his cellphone.
In a separate lawsuit, filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in January, Carbon Health is being sued by its Philadelphia landlord, Hightop Broad Acquisitions, LLC, for failure to pay rent for two years and abandoning the property at 701 Broad Street in South Philadelphia where it operated an urgent care facility.
According to the complaint, also obtained by Philly Daily, Carbon Health allegedly owes the landlord more than $3.6 million in back rent and additional costs and had officially abandoned the property, unannounced, by January, 2025.
Since Garcia was arrested in March, 2024, Carbon Health has quietly pulled out of operating medical care facilities in Pennsylvania. None are listed on their website. There are 11 locations still operating in New Jersey, and an additional 85 locations in six other states, with most in California.
The three closest locations to Philadelphia still operating are located in New Jersey in the towns of Marlton, Browns Mills and Trenton.
More lawsuits are expected to be filed related to this matter.
"Carbon Health may have packed up and run out of Pennsylvania, but they can't run from Pennsylvania's civil justice," Lynch said.
