Houston Transplant Surgeon Charged With Falsifying Records to Block Organ Donations

A Betrayal of Trust in Life-or-Death Decisions

A renowned Houston transplant surgeon who performed over 2,000 organ transplants during his 40-year career now faces federal charges for allegedly falsifying medical records to make patients ineligible for life-saving organ donations. John Stevenson Bynon Jr., 66, surrendered to federal authorities and appeared before a federal judge on Thursday afternoon, charged with five counts of making false statements in health care matters.

Bynon served as Director of Abdominal Organ Transplantation and Surgical Director for Liver Transplantation at Memorial Hermann's Texas Medical Center, where patients under his care were placed on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) liver transplant waitlist. Federal prosecutors allege Bynon made false statements in patients' medical records that effectively blocked them from receiving organ offers through UNOS.

Patients, their families, and other members of their medical care team were unaware Bynon allegedly made false statements in their medical records. "Many patients remained ineligible for months without knowing they could not receive organ offers during that time," the DOJ said.

Devastating Consequences for Vulnerable Patients

Of the five patients detailed in the indictment, three died and two others were able to get liver transplants at different hospitals. Some patients who were victims of the alleged fabrications suffered what court records described as "severe outcomes," while two patients later sought care elsewhere after the alleged false statements were discovered and ultimately received organ transplants.

"According to the indictment, he stole years and hope from those who trusted him most by falsifying records and preventing patients from receiving organ transplants," said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. "Rest assured, the Southern District of Texas will continue to seek justice for every victim in this case."

The indictment claims that "Bynon's unilateral decision-making and false statements" led to patients receiving care paid through Medicare as though they were eligible for an organ donation. This created a situation where patients continued receiving expensive medical treatment while being secretly ineligible for the transplants they desperately needed.

Program Suspension and Institutional Fallout

Bynon was arrested just days after Memorial Hermann announced it was halting its liver and kidney transplant programs. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network declared Memorial Hermann a member not in good standing in February 2025, placing the program under increased oversight and limiting its influence in crafting transplant policy.

Memorial Hermann reactivated its abdominal transplant program in April 2025 after instituting several changes, including removing physicians' ability to alter the database, and choosing Dr. Mark Hobeika, a former transplant surgeon at Houston Methodist Hospital, as the program's new director.

Legal Battle Ahead

Bynon pleaded not guilty during his court appearance. His attorney, Samy Khalil, told reporters that Bynon is a talented organ transplant surgeon, stating "Nothing he did was unlawful. Everything that he did was lawful and in good faith. We look forward to clearing his name in a court of law and educating, frankly, the government on the medical concepts that undergird this totally, totally misguided prosecution."

If convicted, Bynon faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 per conviction. The case highlights the critical importance of transparency in organ allocation systems, where trust between patients and medical professionals can literally mean the difference between life and death. As this case moves forward, it will likely prompt broader discussions about oversight mechanisms in transplant programs nationwide.