Update: Man to stand trial

SPARTA -- Neighbors say Thomas Alan Heugel presented himself as an ordained minister and emergency medical technician who helped people by performing minor procedures, like body piercing or removing skin tags.

Authorities say his medical dabbling crossed into the criminal, and accuse him of performing circumcisions without a medical license on adult men.

"He needs to be taken off the streets," said a man who identified himself as Heugel's former boyfriend. The man, who did not want to be identified, said he witnessed Heugel, 56, performing the surgery on men and reported the Sparta man to the police.

Heugel was arraigned Wednesday in Kent County District Court, charged with Health Profession-Unauthorized Practice and Occupational Code-Performance Occupation Without a License. If he's convicted, the felony unauthorized practice charge has a maximum penalty of four years in prison.

Kent County sheriff's investigators say Heugel was performing circumcisions on men, in addition to massages and body piercing.

Heugel allegedly passed himself off as a medical doctor to his patients and performed the procedures at his home on Cherry Street.

"I don't know what the attraction is," sheriff's Lt. Kevin Kelley said of the procedure. "I don't know, and the detective doesn't know."

Kelley said Heugel advertised on Craig's List and a Web site called "adam4adam.com" and then wore what looked like uniforms worn by a medical professional.

Heugel also administered a local anesthetic in at least one case, according to Kelley. None of the known procedures appear to have been botched, police say.

Heugel was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. He could not be reached for comment, and no one answered the door at his home.

Neighbor Maria Horn, 53, says she used to be Heugel's friend, but later took the side of his ex-boyfriend when the two split up.

She said he represented himself as an ordained minister, an emergency medical technician and had vehicles modified to look like vintage police cruisers.

After losing his job as a car salesman, Horn said Heugel began performing the circumcisions, including one procedure on a man from Canada.

She said he would also remove skin-tags and pierce ears, in addition to other activities.

Police worry there may be other victims and ask anyone with information to call Detective Ed Kolakowski at 336-5179

-- Press writer Tim DeVaney contributed to this report.

E-mail Barton Deiters: bdeiters@grpress.com