Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zhi Alan Cheng was sentenced to 24 years in prison, 10 years post-release supervision and a requirement to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse for assaulting acquaintances and female hospital patients. The defendant – a former gastroenterologist at New York-Presbyterian Queens – filmed the abuse of his unconscious victims in both his apartment and at the hospital.

District Attorney Katz said: “Zhi Alan Cheng committed a series of heinous acts against women. He did so both as a private citizen, sexually assaulting women who were his intimate partners, and as a doctor, sexually assaulting vulnerable patients who came to the hospital in need of help. As a consequence of his crimes, he will serve over two decades in prison, with 10 years of post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender, likely for the rest of his life. I am grateful to my Special Victims Bureau and the NYPD Special Victims Squad for their painstaking work on this case. It is most important to express gratitude to the brave survivor who came forward initially to report the defendant’s crimes, and the other victims who helped us to make sure no other women were hurt going forward.”

Cheng, 35, of Astoria, pleaded guilty June 30 to four counts of rape in the first degree and three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree in satisfaction of the consolidated indictments against him. He additionally entered an Alford plea to one count of sexual abuse.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant sentenced him today to a determinate sentence of 24 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years post-release supervision. Cheng will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.

Cheng’s ability to practice medicine has been suspended by the state.

DA Katz said that Cheng was arrested on December 27, 2022, for raping a female acquaintance at his apartment. The woman discovered videos depicting her and other women being assaulted by the doctor.

An investigation was launched by the Queens District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, working with NewYork-Presbyterian Queens where the defendant was employed.

A search warrant executed at Cheng’s home led to the seizure of numerous digital media storage devices that contained videos of him sexually abusing unconscious female hospital patients and female acquaintances.

Cheng was subsequently charged in multiple indictments with over 50-counts relating to his abuse of the victims.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Brianne Richards, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, prosecuted the case with Assistant District Attorney Brian C. Hughes, Deputy Bureau Chief, and Assistant District Attorney Matthew Regan under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Eric C. Rosenbaum, Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Special Prosecutions Joyce Smith.