Topline: An indictment claims Dr. John Stevenson Bynon Jr. falsified donor criteria for five patients, three of whom later died.
Published: February 10, 2026 3:10 pm ET
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Dr. John Stevenson Bynon Jr. flanked by his attorney Samy Khalil (via Houston Chronicle)
HOUSTON, TX — A federal grand jury indicted a Houston surgeon for allegedly falsifying medical records to make five patients ineligible for liver transplants.
Dr. John Stevenson Bynon Jr., 66, was charged with five counts of false statements relating to health care matters, as reported by The Washington Post. Bynon served as the director of abdominal organ transplantation and surgical director for liver transplantation at Memorial Hermann Health System.
Federal prosecutors allege Bynon made false entries in medical records between March 2023 and March 2024. The indictment states these actions prevented patients from receiving donor organ offers.
Of the five patients named in the indictment, three died. The remaining two patients eventually received transplants after seeking care at different hospitals, according to KHOU.
“Dr. Bynon is alleged to have betrayed the most sacred duty of a medical professional – to heal,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said in a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ganjei said Bynon stole hope from those who trusted him by preventing them from receiving organs.
Court records indicate that patients, their families and other medical staff were unaware that Bynon allegedly altered the records. The Department of Justice stated many patients remained ineligible for months without knowing they could not receive organ offers.
Samy Khalil, Bynon’s attorney, spoke to reporters Thursday following the doctor’s initial court appearance, as per The Washington Post. Khalil said Bynon is a talented surgeon who has performed more than 2,000 transplants over a career spanning 40 years.
Khalil said nothing Bynon did was unlawful and that the doctor acted in good faith. He said the defense looks forward to educating the government on medical concepts that undergird what he called a misguided prosecution.
The indictment does not list a motive for the alleged records manipulation. Specific cases detailed in the indictment describe the impact on the patients. One patient was ineligible for donor offers for 149 days and died in February 2024 while under Bynon’s care.
A second patient was ineligible for 69 days. That patient died in December 2023 during a surgery to receive a liver, as reported by KHOU.
A third patient required an urgent transplant but died in December 2023. This occurred two days after Bynon allegedly entered false matching criteria that made the patient functionally ineligible for a donor organ.
Jason Hudson, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Houston Field Office, said the case involves vulnerable patients who relied on a renowned surgeon.
Memorial Hermann shut down its liver and kidney transplant programs in April 2024 after the accusations first became public. The hospital reactivated the programs one year later, as per The Washington Post.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network declared Memorial Hermann a member not in good standing in February 2025. This is the most severe designation the network can issue for lapses in patient safety or quality of care.
Family members of deceased patients told KHOU in 2024 that their loved ones were removed from waiting lists as their conditions worsened. Several families have filed lawsuits against Bynon in Houston civil court.
If Bynon is convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for each count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Texas Transplant Surgeon’s Record Tampering Led To Patient Deaths
An indictment claims Dr. John Stevenson Bynon Jr. falsified donor criteria for five patients, three of whom later died.
By Kate Byrd
Published: February 10, 2026 3:10 pm ET
Dr. John Stevenson Bynon Jr. flanked by his attorney Samy Khalil (via Houston Chronicle)
HOUSTON, TX — A federal grand jury indicted a Houston surgeon for allegedly falsifying medical records to make five patients ineligible for liver transplants.
Dr. John Stevenson Bynon Jr., 66, was charged with five counts of false statements relating to health care matters, as reported by The Washington Post. Bynon served as the director of abdominal organ transplantation and surgical director for liver transplantation at Memorial Hermann Health System.
Federal prosecutors allege Bynon made false entries in medical records between March 2023 and March 2024. The indictment states these actions prevented patients from receiving donor organ offers.
Of the five patients named in the indictment, three died. The remaining two patients eventually received transplants after seeking care at different hospitals, according to KHOU.
“Dr. Bynon is alleged to have betrayed the most sacred duty of a medical professional – to heal,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said in a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ganjei said Bynon stole hope from those who trusted him by preventing them from receiving organs.
Court records indicate that patients, their families and other medical staff were unaware that Bynon allegedly altered the records. The Department of Justice stated many patients remained ineligible for months without knowing they could not receive organ offers.
Samy Khalil, Bynon’s attorney, spoke to reporters Thursday following the doctor’s initial court appearance, as per The Washington Post. Khalil said Bynon is a talented surgeon who has performed more than 2,000 transplants over a career spanning 40 years.
Khalil said nothing Bynon did was unlawful and that the doctor acted in good faith. He said the defense looks forward to educating the government on medical concepts that undergird what he called a misguided prosecution.
The indictment does not list a motive for the alleged records manipulation. Specific cases detailed in the indictment describe the impact on the patients. One patient was ineligible for donor offers for 149 days and died in February 2024 while under Bynon’s care.
A second patient was ineligible for 69 days. That patient died in December 2023 during a surgery to receive a liver, as reported by KHOU.
A third patient required an urgent transplant but died in December 2023. This occurred two days after Bynon allegedly entered false matching criteria that made the patient functionally ineligible for a donor organ.
Jason Hudson, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Houston Field Office, said the case involves vulnerable patients who relied on a renowned surgeon.
Memorial Hermann shut down its liver and kidney transplant programs in April 2024 after the accusations first became public. The hospital reactivated the programs one year later, as per The Washington Post.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network declared Memorial Hermann a member not in good standing in February 2025. This is the most severe designation the network can issue for lapses in patient safety or quality of care.
Family members of deceased patients told KHOU in 2024 that their loved ones were removed from waiting lists as their conditions worsened. Several families have filed lawsuits against Bynon in Houston civil court.
If Bynon is convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for each count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Texas Transplant Surgeon’s Record Tampering Led To Patient Deaths
An indictment claims Dr. John Stevenson Bynon Jr. falsified donor criteria for five patients, three of whom later died.
By Kate Byrd
Published: February 10, 2026 3:10 pm ET
Dr. John Stevenson Bynon Jr. flanked by his attorney Samy Khalil (via Houston Chronicle)
HOUSTON, TX — A federal grand jury indicted a Houston surgeon for allegedly falsifying medical records to make five patients ineligible for liver transplants.
Dr. John Stevenson Bynon Jr., 66, was charged with five counts of false statements relating to health care matters, as reported by The Washington Post. Bynon served as the director of abdominal organ transplantation and surgical director for liver transplantation at Memorial Hermann Health System.
Federal prosecutors allege Bynon made false entries in medical records between March 2023 and March 2024. The indictment states these actions prevented patients from receiving donor organ offers.
Of the five patients named in the indictment, three died. The remaining two patients eventually received transplants after seeking care at different hospitals, according to KHOU.
“Dr. Bynon is alleged to have betrayed the most sacred duty of a medical professional – to heal,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said in a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ganjei said Bynon stole hope from those who trusted him by preventing them from receiving organs.
Court records indicate that patients, their families and other medical staff were unaware that Bynon allegedly altered the records. The Department of Justice stated many patients remained ineligible for months without knowing they could not receive organ offers.
Samy Khalil, Bynon’s attorney, spoke to reporters Thursday following the doctor’s initial court appearance, as per The Washington Post. Khalil said Bynon is a talented surgeon who has performed more than 2,000 transplants over a career spanning 40 years.
Khalil said nothing Bynon did was unlawful and that the doctor acted in good faith. He said the defense looks forward to educating the government on medical concepts that undergird what he called a misguided prosecution.
The indictment does not list a motive for the alleged records manipulation. Specific cases detailed in the indictment describe the impact on the patients. One patient was ineligible for donor offers for 149 days and died in February 2024 while under Bynon’s care.
A second patient was ineligible for 69 days. That patient died in December 2023 during a surgery to receive a liver, as reported by KHOU.
A third patient required an urgent transplant but died in December 2023. This occurred two days after Bynon allegedly entered false matching criteria that made the patient functionally ineligible for a donor organ.
Jason Hudson, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Houston Field Office, said the case involves vulnerable patients who relied on a renowned surgeon.
Memorial Hermann shut down its liver and kidney transplant programs in April 2024 after the accusations first became public. The hospital reactivated the programs one year later, as per The Washington Post.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network declared Memorial Hermann a member not in good standing in February 2025. This is the most severe designation the network can issue for lapses in patient safety or quality of care.
Family members of deceased patients told KHOU in 2024 that their loved ones were removed from waiting lists as their conditions worsened. Several families have filed lawsuits against Bynon in Houston civil court.
If Bynon is convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for each count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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