Former Waterville Physician Assistant Faces Rape Charges

A 72-year-old former from Waterville faces three rape charges. 

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson brought the charges against Eldon Leinweber in Douglas County Superior Court this week.  

State prosecutors say Leinweber sexually assaulted three female patients in his care between 2012 and 2019 and offered illicit drugs in exchange for their compliance. 

The charges come after the Attorney General's office collaborated with federal prosecutors in a case against Leinweber for healthcare fraud and over-prescription of painkillers.  

Leinweber previously owned and operated Mansfield Family Clinic in Soap Lake and provided medical services throughout North Central Washington prior to retiring five years ago. 

In 2015, the state Department of Health made allegations that Leinweber had been prescribing narcotics to scores of his patients too frequently and attempted to suspend or revoke his medical license. 

Leinweber eventually surrendered his license four years later but did so without any admissions of guilt. 

In December of 2019, Leinweber was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of unlawfully dispensing narcotics. 

He signed a plea agreement to those charges last year, admitting to making false statements to FBI agents in May of 2019. 

He is now serving two years' federal probation in that case.  

An affidavit of probable cause filed in Douglas County Tuesday accuses Leinweber of sexual assault against three women at his clinic, his home and locations around Waterville and in Grant County after he moved his practice there. 

He's charged with two counts of second-degree rape, one count of third-degree rape and one of indecent liberties.

Leinweber has been ordered to appear in court under summons. 

His court date is set for Mar. 4 at 1:30pm in Douglas County Superior Court.