Date-drug case takes a turn

The alleged victim of a man who tried to slip drugs into her drink during a date was sentenced to probation Tuesday for a drug-related offense.

Nancy McGrath, 48, said she knows her conviction will be used against her in the trial of Robert Psaty, who's charged with two felonies over a Jan. 3 incident at Ruby Tuesday.

According to police, a waiter saw Psaty, 57, drop a pill into McGrath's drink when she stepped away to visit the salad bar, according to a Colorado Springs police arrest affidavit. The drug was diazepam, a tranquilizer used to relieve anxiety and relax muscles. The waiter took the drink and called police.

"I know this will come up, but it's no excuse for what he's done," McGrath said Tuesday. "Because of my background, I know he's going to try and discredit me."

She pleaded guilty to a felony charge of using a fraudulent prescription form to get drugs. Fourth Judicial District Judge David Shakes sentenced McGrath to six years supervised probation, mental health treatment, 200 hours of community service and drug abuse treatment. McGrath had violated previous probations, but Shakes decided prison time was not appropriate.

She said she has two prior convictions for obtaining prescription medicine fraudulently.

McGrath needed medication because of chronic migraine headaches, she said, for which she is on disability. She told Shakes Botox treatments have alleviated the need for pain medication. She's also bipolar, she told Shakes.

"I finally found something besides narcotics that relieves my headaches," she said.

After the hearing, she said the drug Psaty allegedly tried to slip her could have killed her because of the other medications she was taking.

Other women have called her to say they'd be willing to testify about bad experiences they had with Psaty, she said.

"I don't know what his intentions were that night," she said. "But he preyed on me."

She met Psaty through an online dating service. She said he's using a different screen name, but is still using online dating services. Psaty has been put on leave as a mental health clinician at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo. He is a former Florence City Council member.

He was hired at the hospital because his criminal convictions for false imprisonment and disorderly conduct were wiped from his record after he successfully completed deferred sentences.

Psaty's trial on the felony charges of assault by drugging a victim and attempting to have someone induce a controlled substance by fraudulent means is scheduled for February. He has pleaded not guilty and remains free on $3,000 bail. The most serious charge carries a maximum six-year prison sentence.