FBI seeking help to ID possible victims allegedly held hostage by doctor in northwest Arkansas

Related Video: First hearing held for Dr. Brian Hyatt’s civil lawsuit in August 2024.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The FBI’s Little Rock Division is looking to identify potential victims who may have been allegedly held against their will by Dr. Brian Hyatt in Northwest Arkansas.

The FBI said in a news release

that it is investigating Hyatt and others at the Behavioral Health Unit at the Northwest Medical Center in Springdale. The department said it is investigating whether Hyatt and others “unlawfully held some patients against their will” at NWMC between Jan. 1, 2018, and June 1, 2022.

The FBI said anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Hyatt’s or NWMC, or has information relevant to this investigation, should fill out a form on the department’s website.

The department said that it is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates.

Medicaid fraud charges and lawsuits, additional arrests

In April 2022, a confidential informant told the Arkansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit that Dr. Brian Hyatt, 52, then director of the Behavioral Health Unit in Springdale, was often present only briefly during scheduled workdays and had little to no contact with patients.

Hyatt, who led the unit from February 2018 to May 2022, was later charged with two counts of violating the Medicaid Fraud Act.

He was arrested in October 2023 and released on a $15,000 bond, pleading not guilty to the charges. Hyatt is scheduled to undergo a mental evaluation, and a hearing in his case is set for Dec. 9.

On Aug. 14, a judge ordered Hyatt to be involuntarily committed to a treatment facility following a petition from medical providers. The filing stated Hyatt was “gravely disabled” due to paranoia and manic behavior.

According to documents filed in his divorce case, Hyatt’s mental health declined after a fall in November 2024, leading to “severe” issues.

He was admitted for inpatient treatment on July 10 and has since undergone stabilization and medication management.

In addition to the criminal case, Hyatt faces more than 200 civil lawsuits from former patients who accuse him of false imprisonment during his time at the facility.

Hyatt was arrested in Benton County on July 3 for DWI, open container and refusing a chemical test. The arrest came weeks after prosecutors sought to ban him from drinking alcohol following a June public intoxication case.

This is a developing story. Stay with KNWA/FOX24 for the latest.