A California man charged with impersonating a doctor is accused of having treated thousands of patients over years, some of them for cancer, prosecutors said.
Stephan Gevorkian, 44, of Studio City, faces five felony counts of practicing medicine without certification, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Monday in a statement.
“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,” Gascón said.
“Gevorkian is accused of practicing medicine without a license on thousands of individuals for several years,” the statement said.
Gevorkian owns and operates Pathways Medical in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, prosecutors said. The business performs blood tests, advises patients about treatments and offers treatments for cancer, viral infections and other conditions, prosecutors said.
On Nov. 17, an undercover investigator received consultation from Gevorkian. During the consultation, Gevorkian failed to recognize abnormal levels of a hormone that could indicate a serious medical condition, prosecutors alleged.
The Division of Investigation of the state Department of Consumer Affairs and the district attorney’s office’s Consumer Protection Division are investigating, prosecutors said.
Gevorkian’s office could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. His attorney also could not be reached.
According to the district attorney’s office and court documents, a complaint for an arrest warrant was filed Wednesday, and Gevorkian’s attorney was notified of the warrant.
Gevorkian was arraigned on the charges Friday, when a judge released him on his own recognizance under the condition that he not practice medicine, a DA’s spokesperson said Tuesday.
Gevorkian was never arrested, the spokesperson said.
People who believe they have been victimized in this case are urged to call the Consumer Protection hotline at 213-257-2465, prosecutors said.