Details Emerge on LSD-Fueled Final Days of Malibu Ophthalmologist

New details are emerging surrounding the final days of a wealthy Malibu, California, ophthalmologist and eye surgeon who was allegedly defrauded by a pair of live-in friends as his mental state declined amid repeated LSD trips.

The weeks before Mark Sawusch, MD, passed away at the age of 57 in 2018, with a net worth of $60 million, included a “terrifying mental spiral following acid trips with gurus Anthony Flores and Anna Moore,” according to new reporting from MarketWatch that detailed testimony during civil litigation brought in 2019; the case has since been settled.

In the aftermath of the civil litigation, Flores and Moore now face federal fraud charges, to which they both have pleaded not guilty. However, the new reporting provided some insight into the purported happenings during Sawusch’s final days.

“Flores and Moore have argued that everything was done at Sawusch’s direction, including taking drugs like LSD, marijuana and ketamine,” the outlet reported.

Just 2 years prior, Sawusch had been both a “highly successful eye surgeon,” practicing out of Pacific Palisades, as well as a “skilled investor,” according to the site. But things changed after a short-lived marriage crumbled and he suffered serious burns to his hands from touching wires inside an electric piano, making him unable to continue getting malpractice insurance and “derailing his career.”

In 2017, as Sawusch’s mental state reportedly declined, he met Flores (a hairstylist) and Moore (an actress) at a vegan ice cream shop in Venice Beach, according to the story. Within a week, Flores and Moore had moved into Sawusch’s home.

“Both yoga fanatics, the pair exuded a spiritual vibe that appealed to Sawusch, who had dabbled with Buddhism and yoga in the past,” MarketWatch reported. “As the couple were aiding Sawusch, they also were gaining control over his finances, establishing power of attorney over his accounts, and transferring money to others that they controlled,” the outlet added, citing prosecutors.

Ultimately, in his final days, Sawusch appeared to be in a manic state, with no one knowing exactly how much LSD he was taking, the outlet detailed. Flores said during testimony in the civil litigation that Sawusch had been ingesting LSD in liquid form, some of which Flores administered and in a higher than typical dose at Sawusch’s direction.

“Mark had been researching it, and he was very knowledgeable about it, especially as a medical practitioner,” Flores testified during the civil litigation, MarketWatch reported. “I had no reason to question Mark’s decision to do what he did.”

The newly reported details based on testimony in the civil case came as the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last month that Flores and Moore have been charged in a 12-count indictment, which alleges they defrauded an unnamed physician out of more than $2.7 million before his death, and then attempted to defraud his estate out of an additional amount exceeding $20 million.

In its announcement of the charges, the DOJ pointed to civil litigation filed by the physician’s family in regards to uncovering the alleged fraud. “The lawsuit was settled with Flores and Moore agreeing to repay the victim’s estate $1 million, which they have so far failed to do,” the agency also stated.

“If convicted on all counts, Flores and Moore would face statutory maximum sentences of 20 years in prison for each fraud count, 20 years on the conspiracy to commit money laundering and laundering of monetary instruments counts, 10 years on transactional money laundering count, and a mandatory 2-year prison sentence for the aggravated identity theft count,” the DOJ stated.

Ambrosio Rodriguez, JD, who is representing Flores in the federal fraud case, told MedPage Today the following in a phone conversation: “My client entered a plea of not guilty, and he, like everyone else, should be presumed innocent. These are serious allegations, and we plan on putting forward a vigorous defense.”

Moore’s federal fraud case legal counsel did not immediately respond to request for comment.