“The indictment is the result of a yearlong collaborative investigation that was initiated by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office,” Hayes said, which also involved the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Ohio Medical Board.
Hayes’ office announced Gronbeck’s arrest on Friday, and said prosecutors have filed a motion for Gronbeck to remain held without bond in the Greene County Jail. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday afternoon before county Common Pleas Judge Michael Buckwalter, Hayes said.
“We do believe that former Dr. Gronbeck is a flight risk,” Hayes said. “We believe that due to the fact that he was a physician he’s a person of resources, a person of means. I believe he still owns property in the county and that is why we are asking the court for no bond.”
Credit: Greene County Jail
Credit: Greene County Jail
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, whose office oversees the BCI, joined Hayes for the press conference along with Greene County Sheriff Scott Anger and the sheriff’s detectives and BCI agents investigating the case.
“This case represents every woman’s nightmare,” Yost said. “A physician is someone that we all trust to act in our best interest, to be professional, to have a level of detachment. To turn medical treatment into a sexual assault is an incredibly graphic and brutal betrayal of trust.”
Yost called the 15 women courageous for stepping forward, particularly the first woman who recorded part of the acts that the AG said will be “compelling evidence” when it’s revealed in court.
If convicted as charged, Gronbeck faces more than 80 years in prison, of which 55 would be mandatory, Hayes said.
“The investigation came to light due to patients and employees coming and reporting it to the sheriff’s office,” Sheriff’s detective Warren Hensley said.
Those with information about other possible criminal activity involving Gronbeck or who believe they may have been victimized are urged to contact Hensley at 937-562-4785 or warren.hensley@greenecountyohio.gov.
Gronbeck’s medical license was permanently suspended earlier this year amid accusations of sexual misconduct against his patients. He was accused of several acts of sexual misconduct with eight patients under his care between 2013 and 2022, filings from the State Medical Board of Ohio show. He worked at Yellow Springs Primary Care until January.
Gronbeck is accused of having a sexual relationship with one of his female patients, and at least six other female patients reported instances of groping or sexual contact, according to state medical board filings.
Documents from the state medical board further accuse Gronbeck of writing a patient a prescription for Rivastigmine patches, commonly used to treat Alzheimer’s and dementia, and then instructing her to hand out the patches to his employees.
Gronbeck also allegedly created a private email account and used a messaging app called Cover Me, where messages disappear quickly and are not saved, to have sexually explicit conversations with a female patient, according to the state investigation.
Gronbeck is a graduate of Antioch College and Wright State University School of Medicine. He worked for Antioch College as the campus doctor from 2015-2019, according to a statement from the college earlier this year.
