February 18, 2016
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Malachi Love-Robinson had all the trappings of a medical practice — an office, a lab coat and stethoscope.
What he didn't have, authorities say, was a medical license — few 18-year-olds do.
Now the Florida teen is charged with practicing medicine without a license and theft after he allegedly performed an exam on an undercover police.
 |
| 18-year-old Malachi Love-Robinson charged for having fake medical practice in Florida. |
"Those are just allegations," he told The Associated Press in a brief phone interview.
According to the Florida police, an undercover police went to Love-Robinson's office, The New Birth New Life Medical Center, on Tuesday.
He was wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope draped over his neck.
The agent told him that she was suffering from a sore throat, lethargy and sneezing. He took her temperature and used the stethoscope to check her lungs and heart and told her she was suffering from allergies and should take an over-the-counter medication.
He told her he was a doctor of homeopathic medicine, the report said, and explained that he had a medical doctor on staff to prescribe antibiotics. She signaled other detectives who entered the office and arrested him.
The teen also took some $3,500 from an 86-year-old woman seeking treatment for stomach pain and is accused of stealing three cheques from her that he cashed for almost $2,800.
The woman said Love-Robinson had come to her house five times in December after she contacted him online to treat her for stomach pains. He told her she suffered from arthritis and sold her vitamins, charging her $3,494 that she paid by check.
During one visit, she told detectives, she became ill, and Love-Robinson called an ambulance to take her to the hospital. He recommended that she not take her purse, so she gave it to him and asked him to lock up her house.
After her release, she found her bank account had no money. Investigators said Love-Robinson had forged three checks from her account.
A website for Love-Robinson's medical practice says he specializes in naturopathy, a system of medicine based on the healing power of nature that avoids the use of surgery and drugs. It is not a licensed medical specialty in Florida and cannot be legally practiced in the state. Its practitioners do not attend traditional medical schools.
The website says he is a "well rounded professional" who bases his treatments on "physiological functions and abnormal conditions on natural laws governing the human body."
The site also says he accepts 19 health insurance plans, plus Medicaid. Three insurance companies contacted by AP said they had no dealings with him. The site also says he speaks French and lists his age as 25.
Love-Robinson was released on $21,000 bail on Wednesday, one day after his arrest.
No comments:
Post a Comment