Zhi Alan Cheng Biography: Medical Career, Background, Criminal Case and Life Today
Zhi Alan Cheng is a former New York City gastroenterologist whose medical career came to an abrupt end following a criminal investigation involving sexual abuse allegations and multiple convictions. Before becoming the subject of a major criminal case, Cheng had followed a conventional medical path, earning a medical degree, completing postgraduate training and working as a physician in Queens, New York.
His name later became widely known because of the criminal proceedings that followed his December 2022 arrest. The investigation eventually resulted in multiple charges, a guilty plea and a lengthy prison sentence.
Although considerable public information is available about Cheng’s education, medical career and criminal case, much less is known about his private life. Reliable public records have not consistently established details about his exact birth date, childhood, parents, siblings, spouse, children, and personal finances. These gaps matter when examining his biography because unverified online claims should not be presented as facts.
Who Is Zhi Alan Cheng?
Zhi Alan Cheng is a former physician who worked as a gastroenterologist in New York City. His professional background included medical education in New York and postgraduate training in California before he eventually established his medical career in Queens.
Cheng worked at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, where he treated patients as part of the hospital’s medical staff. His medical career lasted only a few years before a criminal investigation fundamentally changed his professional and personal circumstances.
By 2025, Cheng had pleaded guilty to multiple serious criminal charges and received a 24-year prison sentence.
Real Name
His publicly documented name is Zhi Alan Cheng.
No reliable evidence shows he maintained a substantially different professional identity or publicly used another name during his medical career.
Zhi Alan Cheng Age and Birth Details
Cheng was 35 years old when he was sentenced in August 2025. Based on that information, his birth year would be around 1989 or 1990.
However, authoritative public records have not consistently established his exact birth date.
Some online biographies have published specific birth information, including claims concerning his birthplace, but those details are not sufficiently documented to be treated as confirmed.
Therefore, his exact birthday and birthplace remain uncertain.
Early Life and Childhood
Reliable information about Zhi Alan Cheng’s early life is limited.
Unlike celebrities and public entertainers, Cheng did not have a long-established public profile before his medical career and criminal case. As a result, details about his childhood, early interests, school years and family environment have not been widely documented.
Some websites have attempted to provide a more detailed childhood biography, but much of that material lacks strong verification.
What can be established with greater confidence is his later educational path. Cheng pursued medicine, attended medical school and completed postgraduate medical training before beginning his professional career.
No reliable public record explains exactly why he chose medicine or what originally motivated him to become a doctor.
Parents and Family Background
Information about Cheng’s parents is limited.
Reliable public records do not clearly establish the names, occupations or professional backgrounds of his mother and father. Verified information about his family’s financial circumstances or social background is also limited.
Because of this lack of documentation, treat claims about his parents on biography websites carefully.
Siblings
Similarly, little confirmed information exists about Cheng’s siblings.
No widely established public biography identifies his brothers or sisters, their occupations or their ages.
As a result, it is not possible to provide a detailed sibling profile without relying on unverified information.
Education
Education is one of the more clearly documented areas of Cheng’s biography.
Albany Medical College
Cheng attended Albany Medical College in New York and earned his medical degree in 2016.
Medical school marked an important stage in his professional development. Like other physicians, he completed extensive academic and clinical training before starting residency.
His medical education ultimately led him toward internal medicine and later gastroenterology.
Medical Residency
Following medical school, Cheng completed postgraduate medical training in California.
His professional history includes California Pacific Medical Centre in San Francisco and other medical training institutions in the state.
Residency training gave him practical experience in patient care and internal medicine before he moved into his eventual speciality.
Zhi Alan Cheng’s Medical Career
Cheng’s professional career was centred on medicine.
He developed experience in internal medicine before working in gastroenterology, a speciality focused on the digestive system.
Gastroenterologists diagnose and treat conditions involving organs such as the stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas and oesophagus. The speciality can involve both clinical consultations and medical procedures.
Cheng eventually moved to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and began working there.
Work at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
Cheng joined NewYork-Presbyterian Queens around 2020.
At the time, he worked as a physician in a major hospital setting. His position placed him in direct contact with patients and other healthcare professionals.
His employment at the hospital ended after his arrest in December 2022.
The termination effectively ended his medical career.
The Criminal Investigation
Cheng’s public profile changed dramatically in December 2022.
He was arrested following an investigation involving allegations of sexual assault. According to prosecutors, the investigation began after a woman discovered recordings that allegedly documented sexual assaults and contacted authorities.
Investigators subsequently examined electronic evidence and other material connected with Cheng.
The investigation expanded beyond the original allegations and eventually involved several women.
Expansion of the Criminal Case
The criminal case developed through multiple indictments.
Prosecutors accused Cheng of sexually abusing patients at the hospital as well as sexually assaulting women outside the hospital.
The allegations involved circumstances in which prosecutors said victims were unconscious or unable to consent.
Investigators later brought additional charges as they continued examining evidence.
The number and seriousness of the allegations made the case a major criminal matter in Queens.
Early in the proceedings, Cheng pleaded not guilty.
His legal position later changed in 2025 when he entered a plea agreement.
Guilty Plea
In June 2025, Cheng pleaded guilty to multiple serious criminal charges.
His plea included four counts of first-degree rape and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse. He also entered an Alford plea involving another first-degree sexual abuse charge.
An Alford plea allows a defendant to accept a conviction without formally admitting the underlying conduct, while acknowledging that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to support the conviction.
The plea brought the case closer to its conclusion after several years of investigation and court proceedings.
Zhi Alan Cheng Prison Sentence
In August 2025, Cheng was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
The sentence also included 10 years of post-release supervision.
In addition, he is required to register as a sex offender following his release.
The sentence marked a major turning point in the case and effectively ended the professional life he had established as a physician.
What Happened to His Medical Career?
Cheng is no longer practising medicine.
Following his arrest, his employment at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens ended. His ability to practice medicine was also suspended.
This means that his former career as a gastroenterologist is no longer active.
His professional trajectory is therefore unusual. He moved from medical education and hospital employment to criminal prosecution and imprisonment within a relatively short period.
Personal Life
Compared with information about his professional career and criminal case, relatively little is known about Cheng’s personal life.
He did not maintain the kind of public celebrity profile that would normally generate extensive information about relationships, family activities, hobbies or social events.
Public court reporting has mentioned women connected with the criminal investigation, but those references do not provide a complete picture of Cheng’s private relationships.
Public records provide no reliable basis for a detailed personal-life narrative beyond what they establish.
Wife or Partner
No reliably confirmed public information establishes that Cheng was married.
Some online biography pages may make claims about his relationship status, but those claims have not been sufficiently verified.
For that reason, his marital status should be regarded as publicly unclear.
Children
No reliable public information confirms that Zhi Alan Cheng has children.
No verified source provides a clear list of children, their names or their ages.
Famous Family Members
No established evidence shows that Cheng comes from a family of major public figures.
No parent or sibling has been reliably identified as a widely known celebrity, politician, business leader or other prominent public personality.
The Cheng surname alone should not be used to connect him to unrelated famous people with the same family name.
Zhi Alan Cheng Net Worth
No verified public-figure reports list Zhi Alan Cheng’s net worth.
Before his arrest, Cheng was a medical professional and had established himself in a specialised area of medicine. Physicians can earn substantial incomes, particularly after completing specialist training, but income does not automatically reveal a person’s net worth.
A credible net-worth calculation would require knowing assets, debts, investments, property ownership, taxes, and other financial obligations.
Online estimates of Cheng’s wealth should therefore be treated as speculative.
There is no reliable basis for stating a specific dollar amount as his confirmed net worth.
Public Appearances
Cheng’s public appearances have largely been connected with his criminal proceedings.
He was seen in connection with court hearings, legal proceedings and his eventual sentencing.
Unlike actors, musicians or television personalities, he did not build a public career around interviews, entertainment events or regular media appearances.
Most media attention surrounding him has therefore focused on his medical career and subsequent criminal case.
Social Media
There is no reliably verified current social-media presence that can confidently be attributed to Cheng.
Some professional or social profiles may have existed during his medical career, but identifying an online account as authentic requires stronger evidence than simply matching a name.
Because of his imprisonment and the nature of the criminal case, approach claims about his current social-media activity cautiously.
Life Today
As of 2026, Zhi Alan Cheng is serving his prison sentence following his 2025 conviction and sentencing.
His 24-year sentence means that imprisonment will remain a major part of his life for many years.
He is also subject to post-release supervision and will face sex-offender registration requirements after release.
His medical career has ended, and he is no longer practising as a gastroenterologist.
The most reliable current information about Cheng therefore concerns his legal status rather than a continuing professional career.
Why the Zhi Alan Cheng Case Received Attention
The case received significant attention because it involved allegations concerning both private acquaintances and hospital patients.
The involvement of a physician added another dimension to the story because doctors hold positions of trust and have direct access to patients.
The case also demonstrated how an investigation can expand after investigators uncover additional evidence.
What began with an initial investigation eventually developed into a much broader criminal prosecution involving multiple alleged victims and numerous charges.
The legal consequences were substantial, ultimately resulting in a lengthy prison sentence and the end of Cheng’s medical career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Zhi Alan Cheng?
Zhi Alan Cheng is a former New York gastroenterologist who worked at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. He later became the subject of a major criminal investigation and was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 2025.
How old is Zhi Alan Cheng?
Cheng was 35 years old when he was sentenced in August 2025. Public records do not reliably establish his exact birth date.
Where did Zhi Alan Cheng study?
He attended Albany Medical College and received his medical degree in 2016. He later completed postgraduate medical training in California.
Was Zhi Alan Cheng a doctor?
Yes. Cheng trained as a physician and worked as a gastroenterologist before his arrest. His medical career ended following the criminal investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
What happened to Zhi Alan Cheng?
He was arrested in December 2022 following an investigation into sexual assault allegations. The investigation expanded into multiple criminal charges, and he later pleaded guilty to several serious offences.
How long is Zhi Alan Cheng’s prison sentence?
Cheng was sentenced to 24 years in prison, followed by 10 years of post-release supervision. He is also required to register as a sex offender after his release.
Is Zhi Alan Cheng still practising medicine?
No. Cheng is no longer practising medicine. His hospital employment ended following his arrest, and his medical practice was suspended.
Does Zhi Alan Cheng have a wife or children?
Reliable public information does not clearly establish that Cheng has a wife or children. Claims about his private family life should therefore be treated as unconfirmed unless supported by reliable documentation.
What is Zhi Alan Cheng’s net worth?
His exact net worth is unknown. No reliable public financial record establishes a confirmed figure, so online net-worth estimates should not be considered authoritative.
Conclusion
Zhi Alan Cheng’s biography is defined by a dramatic contrast between his early professional path and the criminal case that eventually ended his career.
He completed medical school, underwent postgraduate training and became a gastroenterologist working in New York. For a period, his professional life followed the conventional path of a physician building experience in a specialised medical field.
That career changed permanently after his December 2022 arrest and the subsequent investigation. Multiple charges followed, eventually leading to guilty pleas and a 24-year prison sentence in 2025.
Today, Cheng is serving that sentence and is no longer practising medicine.
While his education, medical career and criminal proceedings are relatively well documented, many details of his private biography remain unclear. Information about his parents, siblings, exact birth date, spouse, children and net worth has not been reliably established. A factual account of Zhi Alan Cheng should therefore distinguish documented information from unsupported online claims.
