8 years in prison for former Geneva doctor in November 2012 sex assault
A former Geneva doctor was sentenced to eight years in prison Thursday for sexually assaulting a guest at a party at his St. Charles home in November 2012.
Mark G. Lewis, 60, was convicted in September of criminal sexual assault, a felony that carried a prison term of four to 15 years and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
During the jury trial, the victim testified while she was a guest at Lewis' home, he made her a mixed whiskey drink and everything went "blank" shortly afterward.
The woman testified she woke up naked from the waist down with Lewis next to her, his shirt off.
After leaving in the morning, the woman was having pain and went to a hospital in Woodstock, where she lived. Tests showed the presence of semen that matched Lewis' DNA and chemical tests showed the presence of a pain reliever called Demerol, a narcotic that has severe alcohol interactions, in her blood stream.
The woman was a patient of Lewis' and was on several medications he prescribed, but that was not one of them. Lewis testified in his own defense, saying the woman was coming on to him and the sex was consensual.
Lewis was charged with sexual assault in 2014. While free on bond, he was arrested in spring 2015 on charges he set up an elaborate indoor marijuana farm at his home.
Lewis' bond was revoked and he eventually pleaded guilty to the marijuana offense, which carried a top sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Kane County Judge John Barsanti sentenced Lewis to eight years in prison, and under state law, he had his sentence halved for good behavior.
On Thursday, Barsanti said Lewis' decision to grow and sell marijuana to pay for legal fees showed his character.
"During that time when he needed money, basically his response was to violate the law again," Barsanti said. "He did not care whether he was going to break the law again."
Lewis, who has appealed his conviction, read a statement to Barsanti asking for a shorter prison term so he could open a marijuana dispensary with his relatives in 2021 and again contribute to society. Lewis did not apologize for the assault.
Assistant Public Defender Ron Dolak also argued for the four-year minimum term, saying Lewis had a thriving medical practice and lived 55 years of his life crime free.
"He blew it, he knows it. He was given opportunities most people don't dream about," Dolak said. "But he's ready to make amends and he deserves a second chance."
Lewis must serve 85%, or about six years and nine months, of his sentence. He gets credit for 228 days served at the Kane County jail while the sex case was pending.