This is a sad case of alleged manipulation and forced drug use. A troubled Malibu, California, doctor who was isolated and without family to advocate for him fell victim to a couple who posed as his friends.
Mark Sawusch suffered from bipolar disorder. Anna Moore and her boyfriend, Anthony Flores, took advantage of this. The story was recently covered in a Los Angeles Times article that included interviews with friends of the now-deceased Sawusch. In February of this year, Moore and Flores were indicted on felony charges of conspiracy, identity theft, mail fraud, and money laundering.
Sawusch, Flores, and Moore first met in June 2017 at a Venice, California, ice cream shop. The trio got to talking, and Sawusch invited the couple to his house on the beach to watch the sunset. He even gave them the keys to his Tesla for their upcoming Yosemite trip. Sawusch had recently attempted suicide and had spent time in a mental rehabilitation center.
Sawusch invited Flores and Moore to move in with him. He did not charge them rent. He believed they were his personal “911” and “best friends.” At one point, he did kick them out because he felt they were taking advantage of him.
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Sawusch had several run-ins with the law because of his mental condition. Eventually, he granted Flores power of attorney so Flores could make bail for him. It was then that Flores and Moore allegedly stole almost $3 million and tried to get another $20 million after his death in 2018. Leading up to his death, they allegedly kept him drugged with weekly ketamine injections and LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and marijuana.
