October 30, 2020
An American man has been charged with threatening his ex-fiancee, a doctor from Iran, that he would have her deported if she didn’t marry him.
Ryan McCord, 40, has been charged with harassment for the threat against the woman, who was not named.
McCord was an assistant county attorney in Iowa when he allegedly harassed the woman for months after they ended their relationship, according to a criminal complaint filed October 12.
The woman works as a physician at the Great River Medical Center in Burlington, Iowa, on a visa for foreign-born doctors.
McCord falsely told the woman that he had a pending domestic violence charge against her at the sheriff’s office that could be filed if they didn’t get back together, the complaint says.
“The reason I’m not moving forward is because I still have hope in our relationship,… but I could file the charges any time in the next two years,” he allegedly told her in one social media message.
McCord claimed that the woman had committed felony assault and said such a case could have consequences for her immigration status, including potential deportation. He also warned he could give her supervisors at the hospital negative information that would damage her employment, the complaint says.
The woman has denied any violence allegation. Increasingly concerned about McCord’s threats, she went to the sheriff’s office in August, asking whether any charges were pending against her. She ultimately gave details about the alleged harassment to the Division of Criminal Investigation, which initiated the case.
McCord had met with a deputy last year to make allegations against the woman, saying he only wanted to have his claims documented and not investigated, the complaint says. He withdrew the allegations when told that was not an option.
McCord, who prosecuted felonies and other crimes, was fired August 28, Des Moines County Attorney Lisa Schaefer said. Schaefer would not give the reason for terminating McCord, who had been with the office for one year.
Elizabeth Garvish, an immigration attorney representing the hospital and the woman, told The Associated Press the threat of arrest or charges would not impact anyone’s immigration status. She said one must be convicted of a crime for there to be any consequences.
She said the doctor was providing a “wonderful service to our country” by serving patients in an underserved region and was shaken up by the situation.
“If you are an immigrant during the Trump Administration, when people start throwing the word ‘deportation’ around, it’s a threat. It’s scary for people,” she said. “Immigrants feel unwanted in our country right now.”
The harassment also included repeated phone calls from a restricted phone number and an in-person visit by McCord to the woman’s apartment, the complaint says.
Authorities arrested McCord August 12, booked him and released him after he posted $500 bond. The third-degree harassment charge is a simple misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail.
In court filings, McCord entered a plea of not guilty, demanded a speedy trial and asked for a public defender to represent him.