Doctor's son accused of tricking pregnant girlfriend into taking abortion pill

TAMPA, Fla. — Federal authorities said the son of a Tampa-area fertility doctor is accused of tricking his girlfriend into taking an abortion drug to kill her unborn child.

A federal grand jury indicted 28-year-old John Andrew Weldon on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said Weldon forged the doctor's signature on a prescription for Cytotec, relabeled a pill bottle as "Amoxicillin" and told the woman his father wanted her to take the antibiotic because she had an infection.

The Tampa Bay Times reported the incident occurred in March, a month after an ultrasound at Dr. Stephen Ward Weldon's office confirmed the pregnancy. The doctor is not accused of a crime.

"I can't believe someone did something so malicious to me. Not just to me, but to themselves, because it was our baby," alleged victim Remee Lee said.

Lee said Weldon told her to keep taking three pills a day.

She said the first one made her so sick she went to the hospital and lost the baby.

Weldon's defense attorney characterized the actions as "aberrant" but pointed out his client has no criminal history. A U.S. magistrate denied bail on Wednesday. He faces up to life in prison.

WFTV's legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said making the case federal enables prosecutors to charge Weldon with murder, because federal statutes consider a fetus viable upon conception.

Sheaffer said he believes investigators want Weldon to face the toughest penalty possible in the federal system.

Lee said she thought she and Andrew Weldon were going to get married.

"He was my everything, and more," Lee said.

Lee is suing her now ex-boyfriend for damages as well.

WFTV