Florida 18-Year-Old Arrested For Allegedly Operating Fake Medical Practice

 

An 18-year-old Florida man has been arrested for allegedly operating a fake medical practice. 

Malachi A. Love-Robinson is accused of seeing patients at his New Birth New Life Medical Center and Urgent Care in West Palm Beach, where he lists himself as president, CEO and founder, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

The agency said he was investigated by the Florida Department of Health in October and cited for practicing medicine without a license. 

The sheriff's office said an undercover agent visited the clinic on Tuesday and was given a physical exam and medical advice by the would-be Doogie Howser.  

He was arrested and charged with practicing medicine without a license. The Department of Health also issued several citations, the sheriff's office said. 

"I’m hurt because of all of these allegations," Love-Robinson told WPBF, the local ABC station, as he was led away in handcuffs. "But this is not the first time I have been accused and I will pursue this, and when I do, you will be the first to know."

His clinic says on its Facebook page that it offers "state of the art medical care with the usage of Naturopathic Medicine and Holistic Services."

Love-Robinson's grandfather, William Robinson, told the Sun-Sentinel that it was a misunderstanding. He claimed Love-Robinson was certified to practice holistic medicine by online schools and wasn't seeing patients himself but hoping to attract other doctors to come work for him. 
He told the newspaper: 

"He's not out doing drugs, he's not out trying to rob nobody. He's trying to do something constructive, and if he did do something and the paperwork wasn't right -- he can get ahead of himself sometimes and he may have been trying too hard, but he had good intentions." 

However, the Palm Beach Post said Love-Robinson has been accused of faking medical expertise before. 

Last year, when he was 17, he was caught allegedly walking around dressed as a doctor at St. Mary’s Medical Center, also in West Palm Beach, for a month. He didn't see patients or perform treatments, and was not charged, the newspaper reported. 

"I requested to shadow physicians -- next thing I know, cops are there, that’s all I know, all I know, I have no idea," Love-Robinson told WPBF.

According to Love-Robinson's personal Facebook page, he claims to have certificates from the American Alternative Medical Association and the American Association of Drugless Physicians, both of which are dated Oct. 5, 2015.