Fake physician ‘diagnosed’ diabetes by asking patients to hold metal rod

A 73-year-old Florida man posing as a fake doctor was arrested after he diagnosed an undercover cop with diabetes and high cholesterol and offered to “cure” the man with a $2,000 autologous blood transfusion, the Miami Herald reported Feb. 13.

According to the Herald, Onelio Hipolit-Gonzalez promoted himself as a doctor on the website El Classificado, a classifieds site geared toward the Hispanic community. He reportedly diagnosed patients with life-threatening illnesses like cancer and diabetes by having them hold a metal rod connected to a beeping machine, then offered to treat their conditions for thousands of dollars.

“Basically he’s taking people’s money and telling them he’s going to cure them,” Denise Moloney, a spokesperson for the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, which is handling the case, said. “First time I’ve heard of something like this.”

Hipolit-Gonzalez was arrested during one of his routine appointments, when he diagnosed an undercover policeman with a gallbladder “not in good health,” high cholesterol, diabetes and “50 percent fat in his liver.” Hipolit-Gonzalez explained he’d treat the man by drawing blood and re-infusing it into his body—an approach he claimed would combat diabetes.

The so-called doctor was reportedly shocked when he was arrested, according to the Herald. He alleged he’d worked as a lab technician in Cuba before moving to Florida, where he said he went to school for iridology, herbology and nutrition.

Hipolit-Gonzalez is currently released on a $3,000 bond.

Read more below:

""

After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

Philips introduced a new CT system at ECR aimed at the rapidly growing cardiac CT market, incorporating numerous AI features to optimize workflow and image quality.

Trimed Popup
Trimed Popup