Dr. Benjamin Brown was charged with manslaughter on Monday, June 17.
A Florida plastic surgeon has been arrested and charged with manslaughter following the tragic death of his wife.
Dr. Benjamin Brown, 41, faced these charges on Monday, June 17, after an extensive investigation into the death of his wife, Hilary Ellington Brown. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office shared the news in a Facebook post.
Hilary passed away on November 28, 2023, a few days after suffering a cardiac arrest at Restore Plastic Surgery in Gulf Breeze. She had been placed on life support prior to her demise.
“Following a thorough investigation in collaboration with the District One Medical Examiner’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office, our detectives requested a warrant for Dr. Benjamin Brown’s arrest,” stated the sheriff’s office.
“Today, 6/17/2024, Benjamin Jacob Brown, 41 years of age has been arrested for Second Degree Felony Homicide: manslaughter by Culpable Negligence. He is currently in SRSO Jail awaiting his first court appearance, where a bond will be determined by a judge and the State Attorney’s Office.”
According to an emergency restriction order on the plastic surgeon’s medical license filed by the Florida Department of Health in May, Hilary died on life support seven days after she had a cardiac arrest during a surgery performed by Dr. Brown on November 21, 2023. He performed multiple cosmetic procedures including scar revision, arm liposuction, and lip and face injections on his wife.
The medical board revealed that Hilary had ingested a number of pills, including Valium, and prepared her own IV bags before the surgery.
As Dr. Brown commenced the procedures, Hilary “became restless and her feet began twitching,” which escalated. She mentioned her vision blurring, became unresponsive, and then had a seizure.
During the operations, Dr. Brown neglected to document the anesthetic medication he administered to his wife. Approximately 10 to 20 minutes after Hilary’s seizure, he told his assistant to call for emergency help.
“Over the next 10-20 minutes, a medical assistant asked Dr. Brown if they should call 911 and Dr. Brown said ‘no,’ or ‘wait.’ The medical assistant, scared and new on the job, followed his instructions,” mentioned the emergency restriction order.
Hilary was transported to the Ascension Sacred Heart Emergency Care Department in Pensacola, Fla., but unfortunately, she passed away. The cause of her death was attributed to “complications following lidocaine toxicity,” according to the document.
Dr. Brown graduated from Georgetown University’s Department of Plastic Surgery in 2015. The Florida Department of Health records indicate this. Just days before his wife’s death, he had posted a request for prayers on social media, reported the Pensacola News Journal.
Dr. Brown was released on a $50,000 bond on Monday, June 17, confirmed the news outlet.
If convicted, he could face life imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
