Milwaukee substance abuse counselor convicted of sexually exploiting patient, acquitted on 2nd count

A Milwaukee County jury on Wednesday convicted a local substance abuse counselor of sexually exploiting one of his patients, but acquitted him of a similar charge involving another woman.

George O. Ramsey III initially was charged with three counts of felony sexual exploitation by a therapist and faced more than 37 years in prison.

Jurors deliberated for nearly four hours before finding Ramsey, 63, not guilty of a crime stemming from a complaint that he fondled a patient's breast and penetrated her vagina with his finger. The jury, however, found him guilty of forcing another patient, a woman in her 80s, to perform a sex act on him.

The third count against Ramsey was dismissed midway through the trial when a witness essential to the case failed to testify.

Ramsey was remanded into custody. He glanced over his shoulder to a family member in the gallery as he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 12.

The first two allegations against Ramsey were logged in 2018 while he worked for Achievement Associates Clinic, at 5228 W. Fond du Lac Ave., according to a criminal complaint in the case. A third was reported March 1, 2021, at a clinic run by Ramsey, called New Beginnings Wellness Center, at 3500 N. Sherman Blvd.

Two women, ages 52 and 41, reported Ramsey’s behavior four months apart in 2018. Both came to him with mental health or substance abuse issues and said Ramsey made inappropriate remarks to them before assaulting them, according to the complaint.

An 84-year-old woman later said on March 1, 2021, she was assaulted, threatened and forced to perform a sex act on Ramsey during their second appointment together, according to the criminal complaint. She told police investigators Ramsey pointed a firearm he had in a desk at her during the assault.

Defense attorney Matt Last argued one of the women gave jurors a story during trial that differed from her statement in 2018, when the first allegations were made. The inconsistencies were so vast that her testimony shouldn't be trusted.

He also argued the older woman gave conflicting statements of when Ramsey produced the weapon. No gun was recovered in a search of Ramsey's home or office.

The case against Ramsey had been set for trial multiple times, but had been postponed. In one instance, the judge was sick. In June, Ramsey was diagnosed with prostate cancer. In December, the judge granted a delay to allow Ramsey to begin radiation treatments.