Story highlights
Investor says he gave 18-year-old Malachi Love-Robinson ten thousand dollars to help start a clinic
Love-Robinson tells ABC his training involved shadowing many doctors
Police say Love-Robinson examined and gave medical advice to an undercover officer
A would-be investor in Palm Beach, Florida, remains unsure of the truth surrounding Malachi Love-Robinson after the 18-year-old was arrested for practicing medicine without a license.
Perseus Wells says he invested $10,000 to open a clinic with Love-Robinson, who “told me he was a natural doctor.”
Speaking with Dr. Drew Pinski on HLN’s “Dr. Drew” Thursday night, Wells said he “invested in the idea of a practice,” and that he was seeking to hire physicians at the clinic. Wells said Love-Robinson provided transcripts and documents from Arizona State University.
An 18-year-old charged with posing as a doctor told ABC News that “just because someone has a title ‘doctor’ in front of their name does not necessarily imply M.D.”
He posted bail on Wednesday, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Love-Robinson was the head of his own practice, according to his website, but “just because someone has a title ‘doctor’ in front of their name does not necessarily imply M.D.,” the teen said in an interview that aired Thursday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
“I’m not portraying [myself] as an M.D. I never said I’ve gone to school to be an M.D.,” he told ABC. He said he has a Ph.D. but wouldn’t say what field it was in.
He said his training involved shadowing many doctors.
The sheriff’s narcotics unit, along with the Florida Department of Health, carried out an operation in which an undercover officer visited Love-Robinson’s office, according to a statement from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Love-Robinson physically examined the officer and provided medical advice, said the statement, which detailed a nearly two-week investigation that culminated in Tuesday’s arrest.
As police led Love-Robinson out of his office in handcuffs, he said, “I’m hurt because of the accusations and allegations, but like I said, this is not the first time where I’ve been accused and I will pursue this, and when I do, you guys will know,” according to CNN affiliate WPBF.
The website for Love-Robinson’s practice lists the teen as its president, CEO and founder. It refers to Love-Robinson as “Dr.” and places acronyms after his name, including Ph.D. and HHP-C, which is used for those involved in home health and personal care. A Ph.D. is generally not a medical degree.
Love-Robinson already had run into trouble with the Florida Department of Health, which filed a cease-and-desist notice in October accusing him of practicing medicine without a license, department spokesman Brad Dalton told CNN.
While Florida licenses medical doctors, it does not issue licenses for naturopathic doctors, or those who reject the use of medicines, Florida Department of Health spokesman Brad Dalton told CNN.
Naturopathy encompasses a wide array of “natural” alternatives to conventional medicine.
Love-Robinson described himself as a “well rounded proffessional” (spelling his), according to his profile on HealthGrades.com, which has been removed since his arrest. The listing states that he is 25 years old.
“I utilize physiological, psychological, and mechanical methods, such as air, water, light, heat, earth (to treat patients),” the profile said.
HealthGrades says the information was supplied by or on behalf of the provider.
A Facebook event shows a January 16 “grand opening celebration” for the New Birth New Life Medical Center, which is at the same address where the arrest was made Tuesday.
New Birth New Life’s website indicates at least two other people worked at the office.