Los Angeles prosecutors this week charged a man with falsely claiming to be a licensed doctor — alleging he's practiced medicine on thousands of patients in the last several years, including for serious diseases, 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," said L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón of the decision to prosecute.
Stephan Gevorkian, 44, of Studio City is facing five felony accounts of practicing without certification at Pathways Medical Group in North Hollywood.
His attorney Justin E. Sterling has said in statements released to the media that criminal charges are "unproven accusations" and that “any suggestion that Mr. Gevorkian was impersonating a doctor in an effort to treat unsuspecting patients is demonstrably false.”
"It's important to acknowledge that what is thought to be known or understood early on is not always the case in the end," said Sterling in a statement. A call asking Sterling for additional comments was not immediately returned.
Gascón announced the charges Monday, and is also asking patients of Gevorkian to come forward with information.
An undercover investigator went into Gevorkian's practice seeking medical attention in November 2022. During the consultation, he "allegedly failed to accurately address abnormal levels of a hormone that could indicate a serious medical condition," according to the statement.
The D.A.'s statement says the business "conducts blood tests on patients, advises them on treatments and offers treatment for serious conditions including cancer and viral infections."
According to the office's Yellow Pages site, the facility has been operating for 13 years. The office lists "Alternative Medicine" as a practice.
We've reached out to the Pathways Medical Group for comment and have yet to hear a response back. Gevorkian's preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 24.
We don't know what type of doctor (more on that below) Gevorkian is alleged to have been impersonating. When we asked the D.A.'s office for clarification, we were told, "Gevorkian has never been licensed to practice medicine in California."
