A Miami-Dade judge ordered a physician charged in the death of a woman during what prosecutors describe as a “heart protocol ceremony” to stop practicing medicine while his criminal case moves forward.
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Earlier this week, state attorneys filed a manslaughter charge against Dr. Samuel Lee in connection with the death of Tina Sodhi.
Lee, a medical doctor certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, describes himself as a “holistic, integrative psychiatrist who uses a Spiritual approach towards mental health.”
According to the arrest report, Lee organized a ceremony at a Miami Beach wellness house, and he acknowledged given Sodhi a combination of substances including ketamine and MDMA. The Medical Examiner’s toxicology report later revealed that those substances were found in her body as well as DMT, a psychedelic.
The arrest report also notes that she consumed a parasite cleanse that “was recommended” by Lee before spending time inside a sauna. The report states “The Victim’s exposure to an infrared Sauna, amplified the effects of the substances.”
The report also says that the Medical Examiner explained to investigators that the combination of drugs, the parasite cleanser and exposure to the sauna caused Sodhi to become dehydrated, and each alone “significantly contributed” to her death.
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On Feb. 10, 2025, police responded to a call of an unresponsive female, Sodhi, who was found in a sauna at the wellness center.
On Friday, at the state attorney’s request, the judge imposed additional conditions on Lee’s bond, allowing him to remain out of jail awaiting trial, but prohibiting him from providing any medical, psychological, or psychiatric care while the case is pending. Lee was also ordered to surrender all his passports.
Florida Department of Health licensing records show Lee’s state medical license is now listed as delinquent. Lee is also licensed to practice in Texas, where the state’s medical board temporarily suspended his license noting “his continuation in the practice of medicine poses a continuing threat to public welfare” and citing the death of Sodhi.
Lee has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge and is awaiting trial. His attorney declined to comment.
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