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Doctor gets 3 years for attack on son-in-law

By WTOP Staff

MARK GILLISPIE
Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — A respected Pennsylvania anesthesiologist who attacked his daughter’s estranged neurosurgeon husband with a clawed pry bar in a Cleveland suburb was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday.

Dr. Georges Bensimhon, 67, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, apologized to his former son-in-law, Dr. Seth Alan Hoffer, before being sentenced and taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies.

“If I could erase that day from the calendar, I would,” Bensimhon said.

Bensimhon claimed he did not intend to hurt Hoffer, 40, but wanted to scare him and make him miss a flight to Florida, where Hoffer was supposed to pick up his 1-year-old daughter and bring her back to his Cleveland Heights home for a visit.

Bensimhon claimed he did not want his daughter, Danielle, to spend Rosh Hashanah alone.

Hoffer and his wife were going through a contentious divorce at the time. It was finalized in November 2013.

Prosecutors dropped an attempted aggravated murder charge and other counts against Bensimhon as part of a plea deal. He had faced up to eight years in prison.

Prosecutors said Bensimhon borrowed a car from a neighbor and drove 400 miles through the night to Cleveland Heights before the September 2013 attack. He wore black clothes, a black mask and latex gloves and hid in bushes at the back of Hoffer’s home, prosecutors said.

After suffering a deep gash to the head when Bensimhon attacked, Hoffer overpowered him and had the smaller man pinned to the ground when police arrived.

Hoffer told police he did not know the attacker was his father-in-law until Bensimhon yelled out that he could not breathe after Hoffer had taken him down.

Police found loaded syringes containing the drug ketamine, a hallucinogen, and other sedatives in a backpack Bensimhon left in the bushes. Prosecutors said Bensimhon likely stole the drugs.

A toxicologist from the Cuyahoga County medical examiner’s office wrote that a combination of the ketamine and the other sedatives could prove fatal because of the effect they can have on a person’s respiratory system.

Prosecutors said it appeared that Bensimhon planned the attack and contend that Bensimhon likely slashed a tire on Hoffer’s car in an attempt to stop him from driving to the airport for a flight to Florida to see his daughter. Hoffer noticed he had a flat after arriving at the airport.

In his victim’s statement, Hoffer said Bensimhon has left him and his 7-year-old daughter from a previous marriage in fear for their lives. His first wife died of cancer when the girl was 14 months old.

“I cannot undo the terror he has instilled in our lives,” Hoffer said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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