PROVO, Utah (ABC 4 News) - A former Utah County plastic surgeon has been sentenced to 6 months in jail for kidnapping and drug charges.
Joseph Berg pleaded guilty to second degree felony kidnapping stemming from a 911 call made by his girlfriend who had allegedly been tied up in a closet in December.
Berg pleaded guilty to the second degree felony kidnapping charge which had previously been first degree offense.
Berg also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and to possession of gun by a restricted person.
An assault charge and a lessor weapons charge were dismissed.
Berg was charged In November with kidnapping and assault, and court documents named his live-in girlfriend as the victim.
During the
911 call, Berg's girlfriend remained silent even after repeated attempts by the dispatcher to get her to respond.
The
911 recording revealed other voices, along with prolonged screaming and crying from someone in the background. Investigators later learned that the woman was allegedly being abused.
Dispatchers traced the phone call to an address in Orem.
A friend of the alleged victim later told ABC 4 that Dr. Berg was hitting the woman, grabbing her hair and dragging her through the house.
The friend told ABC 4 that Berg taped the victim's hands together and taped her to a bedroom dresser.
Police say Berg eventually placed the victim in a closet, where she made the silent phone call.
Some sounds from the 911 call to sound like duct tape being unwrapped.
Officers eventually made a forced entry into Dr. Berg's home and went from room to room looking for the source of the screams.
Police found Berg hovering over a woman taped up in a closet.
Berg was arrested and the girlfriend was treated at a local hospital.
Since the November incident, Berg lost is license to practice. The state’s Division of Occupation and Professional Licensing revoked his license. His cosmetic practice is no longer in business.
In addition to the jail sentence, Berg was also ordered to pay over $1,200 in fines.
