A former urologist and team doctor for youth hockey has plead no contest to more than two dozen sexual abuse charges.
The plea comes after several former youth hockey players Detroit Metro area came forward with the allegations against Zvi Levran who acted as a youth hockey coach and team doctor for over two decades since the 2000's.
Acording to The Mining Journal, Zevran held roles with multiple school teams including Novi High School, the Farmington United Hockey team and St. Mary’s Preparatory High School in West Bloomfield Township.
Of the 28 charges, 24 were for criminal sexual conduct. He also pleaded no contest to two counts of child sexually abusive material, and two counts of child sexually abusive activity.
The charges against Levran first came to light in 2022 when a 19-year-old former hockey player came forward, alleging that he had went to Levran's house for a physical, which eventually devolved into abuse.
“I was laying on my back waiting for it to be over. … I didn’t want to look at him,” the witness said.
After about two years of court proceedings during which Levran entered a not guilty plea, he entered the no contest plea on Tuesday, appearing in court with two black eyes and stitches on his brow bone. Levran's lawyer said he had a physical confrontation with another inmate in his cell.
The no-contest plea will dispense with the need for a trial.
The no contest plea prevents the need for a trial and Levran is scheduled for sentencing in Oakland County Circuit Court on April 29. Avoiding putting the victims through the experience of rehashing the abuse in trial is win for the victims, McDonald said in a statement after court Tuesday.
“This guilty plea holds Zvi Levran accountable for his crimes and provides justice for his victims,” said prosecutor Karen McDonald. “Today’s outcome ensures Levran’s victims will not be re-traumatized by the burden of testifying at trial. It also spares them any further uncertainty about the outcome of this case. The victims were heard, and their stories were believed. Zvi Levran is guilty.”
