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Hearing held for U.P. doctor charged with 50 felonies

MARQUETTE, MI--   A preliminary exam was held in Marquette Thursday for a doctor accused of giving patients drugs for sexual favors.

Michael Varney, 61, of Caspian is charged with three counts of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct and four counts of delivery of a Schedule 2 substance in Marquette County.

A complaint from Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office alleges Varney behaved inappropriately with 10 patients dating back to 2009. He is accused of sending sexually suggestive and inappropriate messages, requesting sexually suggestive photos, and providing pills like Oxycodone in exchange for sexual contact.

Briefings from the prelim are due November 5.

Varney also faces multiple charges in Iron and Dickinson counties.

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.