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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 50 • No. 52 • $1.00
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Two men Sugar Land plastic surgeon charged with sentenced to significant practicing surgery while intoxicated prison time in child abuse cases By Ken Fountain
KFOUNTAIN@FORRTBENDSTAR.COM
Staff Reports The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office in December secured pleas of guilty on multiple child abuse charges, earning two defendants decades in prison, according to a news release. Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Howard prosecuted both cases, ensuring significant prison time while protecting child survivors from reliving the trauma at trial, according to the release. Timothy Carroll, 50, pleaded guilty in two first-degree felony charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child on December 9 in the 268th District Court and was sentenced by Judge Steve Rogers to 25 years confinement in prison in each case. Carroll must serve at least half of his time before he is eligible for parole. The crimes were discovered in July 2023 during a cruise in international waters when a child told an adult about an incident that occurred on the ship. The cruise line’s security service began an onboard investigation and notified the FBI, as the matter concerned criminal allegations within federal jurisdiction. Carroll was detained for the remainder of the cruise. During the onboard investigation, the child disclosed past sexual abuse by Carroll. Upon the ship’s return to the Port of Galveston, Carroll was arrested by the FBI. As the FBI continued to investigate Carroll’s conduct on the cruise ship and the child’s disclosure, their investigation revealed that while living in Richmond, Carroll had committed multiple acts of sexual abuse against the child victim. “Through the coordination of the cruise line personnel and the FBI, Carroll’s offenses were brought from the shadows into the light. The case is a testament to how important teamwork is in investigating and prosecuting child sexual abuse cases,” Howard said in the news release. “The child was made to feel safe and supported enough to speak out and finally reveal the truth about this predator.” Drew Bryan pleaded guilty, also on December 9 in two cases of Indecency with a child by sexual contact, also in the 268th District Court, and was sentenced to 10 years prison by Rogers. The 41-year-old Katy man must also serve half his time before becoming parole eligible. In March of 2025, Bryan, a former police officer and private investigator, was arrested for Indecency following an outcry by the child victim. During the investigation, the child disclosed instances of sexual abuse perpetrated by Bryan. Following his arrest, Bryan posted bond, but was later rearrested for additional offenses including harassment and violation of a protective order, which
SEE PRISON PAGE 1
A prominent Sugar Land plastic surgeon has been charged with performing surgery while intoxicated, according to the Sugar Land Police Department. Dr. Azul Shirazali Jaffer, 50, who owns and operates his own practice in Sugar Land, was indicted on December 15 and arrested December 22 and booked into the Fort Bend County Jail,
according to a brief press release from the police department. According to court records, he is free on a $5,000 bond set by Magistrate Judge Tony Duckett. Prosecutors had sought a bond of $40,000. In the indictment obtained by the Fort Bend Star, Jaffer is accused of “perform[ing] surgery on [a] patient, whose name was unknown to the Grand Jury at the time of Indictment, while in-
toxicated, namely, not having the normal use of his mental or physical faculties by reason of the introduction of alcohol, controlled substance, drug, dangerous drug, combination of two or more of those substances, or any other substance into his body and, by reason of that conduct, placed the unknown
SEE SURGEON PAGE 3
Azul Shirazali Jaffer, M.D., 50, a prominent Sugar Land plastic surgeon, has been indicted on a single charge of practicing surgery while intoxicated. He remains free on a $5,000 bond. Courtesy Sugar Land Police Department.
KWANZAA CELEBRATION
On Friday, December 26, the ninth annual Missouri City Area Kwanzaa Community Celebration was held at the Missouri City Community Center. The secular holiday founded in 1966 is a seven-day celebration of the history and culture of African Americans, based on seven principles. The event included presentations, music and dance performances, and a community meal. Photos by Ken Fountain
A.J. Jackson, foreground, and Drumz Uhuru perform at the ninth annual Missouri City Area Kwanzaa Celebration on December 26, the first night of the secular holiday. See more photos from the event on Page 2.
Members of Drumz Uhuru perform.
Members of Joy of Djembe Drumming enter the community center.
Mtangulizi Sanyika, 83, imparts the “wisdom of the elders.”
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