TN Medical Examiner Arrested in Drug Case

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Narcotics agents say once inside the Ridgeland, Mississippi hotel room of 49 year-old Dr. Bruce Levy they found several small containers of marijuana.

They say they originally came to Levy's room Tuesday afternoon after drug dogs in a routine cargo search hit on a package believed to contain drugs. Accused of having a total of over 30 grams of marijuana, Levy was charged with a felony.

The arrest has cost him his job as Tennessee State Medical Examiner, a position he's held under contract with the State Department of Health since 1998. Commissioner Susan Cooper issued the following statement Wednesday:

"The Department of Health is taking immediate action to terminate its contract with Dr. Levy for these services. In the interim, as Health Commissioner, I will name an acting state medical examiner to carry out the duties of the position."

Levy is the President and Chief Executive Officer of "Forensic Medical" in Nashville. The company has another office on Madison Avenue in Memphis.

According to Shelby County, "Forensic Medical" was hired in 2006 to handle management services for our regional forensic center. Fox 13 tried contacting Shelby County Medical Examiner, Doctor Karen Chancellor, but she had no comment.

The county says "Forensic Medical's" contract is up in June and they opened the bidding process for new contracts this past Monday, purely out of coincidence.

No one from the company headquarters in Nashville has commented or issued a statement on Levy's arrest as of yet.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety says Levy is also the CEO of "Global Forensics" and one of 6 doctors under contract for the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office. Commissioner Stephen Simpson has suspended Levy's privileges within the state and notified "Global Forensics" its contract will be terminated.