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A 44-year-old man in California is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly impersonating a licensed doctor and practicing medicine on “thousands of individuals for several years,” offering treatments to those with “serious medical conditions such as cancer.”
“Practicing medicine without a license is not only a criminal activity in California, it can cause irreparable harm to the health of unsuspecting people, some with serious illnesses, who believe they are under the care of a licensed physician,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement about the case.
According to a press release from the DA’s office, an undercover investigator on Nov. 17, 2022, went to Pathways Medical, which is owned and operated by Gevorkian, posing as a patient and sat down for a consultation with Gevorkian. Throughout the consultation, Gevorkian allegedly failed to address hormonal red flags in the undercover’s bloodwork which were an indicator of a possible significant illness.
“The business conducts blood tests on patients, advises them on treatments and offers treatment for serious conditions including cancer and viral infections,” the release states. “In the consultation, Gevorkian allegedly failed to accurately address abnormal levels of a hormone that could indicate a serious medical condition.”
Gevorkian’s defense attorney, Justin E. Sterling, has denied the allegations against his client in a statement sent to several news outlets.
“It’s important to acknowledge that what is thought to be known or understood early on is not always the case in the end,” Sterling wrote. “Any suggestion that Mr. Gevorkian was impersonating a doctor in an effort to treat unsuspecting patients is demonstrably false.”
Sterling did not immediately respond to an email from Law&Crime regarding the charges against his client.
Gevorkian was arraigned on Friday and released on his own recognizance on the condition that he not engage in the practice of medicine.
While the website for Pathways Medical is currently shown as “under construction,” archived versions of the site claimed that its “IV Vitamin Therapy has helped heal countless of our patients.”
“We’ve received countless testimonials of patients gaining their lives back, reversing illnesses as severe as autoimmune disorders, cancers and other chronic illnesses to as common as high blood pressure and high cholesterol,” the site read on its “About Us” page in October 2022.
“Next, you will meet with our wonderful doctor for a one-hour long consult where he will discuss all your lab results, treatment plan and any questions or concerns you might have,” the site said.
Authorities are urging anyone who may have been “victimized” by Gevorkian to contact the Consumer Protection Hotline at 213-257-2465.
