L.A. Man Charged with 5 Felony Counts of Practicing Medicine Without a License
A California man was charged last month with five felony counts, including falsely claiming to be a licensed doctor and practicing medicine on thousands of individuals, offering treatment for serious medical conditions, including cancer.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney announced that 44 year old Stephan Gevorkian, who lives in Studio City, faces five felony counts of practicing medicine without a certification in case BA514156.
“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 the DA’s office, an undercover investigator went to Pathways Medical and posed as a patient, sitting down with Gevorkian--owner and operator of the business. Throughout the consultation, Gevorkian allegedly failed to address hormonal red flags in the undercover investigator’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.”
While the website for Pathways Medical is currently inaccessible, archived versions of the site claimed that its “IV Vitamin Therapy has helped heal countless of our patients. (sic)”
“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 December 2022.
Additionally, the archived site from December provided information as to how the company’s consultations work after prospective patients meet with a nurse and have blood drawn and analyzed.
“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. Several patient testimonials on the site refer to "Dr. G."
In a statement to local TV station KTLA, Gevorkian’s attorney said in part:
“Sadly, the DA’s public statements about this case are more about optics than substance. Any suggestion that Mr. Gevorkian was impersonating a doctor in an effort to deceive and treat unsuspecting patients is misleading and demonstrably false.”
From the DA's statement and other news reports it is unclear whether Mr. Gevorkian holds any kind of medical professional credential or license.
Let's keep in mind that this is in the United States, where people are innocent until proven guilty. But even if he is innocent and this is all just a misunderstanding, this is undoubtedly a highly stressful moment for him. Best case scenario, from his perspective: this is all a misunderstanding. Worst case scenario: he is looking at time in prison.
In either case, this could be avoided by consulting with an attorney to get solid legal and business plan foundations that would significantly reduce your risk of legal headaches like this one.
Gevorkian’s first hearing is set for May 24, 2023.
