USA: Fake doctor was registered sex offender

A curious South Florida woman helped catch a man who police say acted as a doctor but really had no license and had been convicted of sexual battery against previous patients. MIAMI, Florida (Miami Herald), June 25, 2008: BY Diana Moskovitz Reginald Phillips has been charged with acting as a doctor without a medical license.Reginald Phillips looked every bit the doctor, equipped with a medical degree and the recommendation of another physician. Until he came across a pair of curious clients. With a simple Internet check -- using Google -- the Big Pine Key couple discovered that Phillips, 50, of Boca Raton, was unlicensed for medicine, although he went to medical school. But he was a registered sex offender, convicted in 1997 of sexual battery against two patients. So rather than have her procedure done, potential patient Carol LaGraves, 61, passed her discovery on to investigators. On Tuesday, Phillips was arrested, charged with acting as a doctor without a medical license, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Investigators also are asking whether Phillips presented himself as a doctor to any other clients. Why did the couple check? Walter LaGraves, 68, said the two regularly investigate professionals they hire. The curiosity comes naturally, he said, probably because they both have worked for the Broward state attorney's office. ''I suppose we are probably more suspicious than most because of our training and careers,'' said Walter LaGraves. ``We were both in law enforcement for 30 years.'' Here is how the case unfolded: Since last year, Carol LaGraves, 61, had been receiving treatment for rheumatoid arthritis from Dr. Martha Hernandez-Illas for at the Center for Rheumatology, Immunology, and Arthritis in Oakland Park. Recently, Hernandez-Illas had suggested that Carol try ''infusion,'' a procedure that intravenously administers the medication Remicade to treat arthritis. And she recommended that Phillips do the procedure. LaGraves agreed to have the procedure done by Phillips at Hernandez-Illas' office on May 27. At one point, she even talked to Phillips on the phone about her upcoming treatment. But days before her scheduled procedure, LaGraves decided to search Phillips on Google. That's when she found that the Florida Department of Health's website said Phillips' medical license was revoked. Another website told her that he was a registered sex offender. A former neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic, Phillips was sentenced to prison in 1997 for sexually battering two male patients, one of whom was in his 70s. He served almost six years, according to state prison records. Wanting to make sure their suspicions were true, LaGraves and her husband went to the medical office for the medical appointment. Once they saw Phillips, they recognized him and knew their suspicions were true. The couple sat through the consultation, made up an excuse to delay the procedure and called BSO. BSO detectives conducted an undercover investigation and ultimately issued a warrant for his arrest. ''I would just urge anyone who is seeing any new professional to make sure that they do their due diligence and check out the individual's background,'' Walter LaGraves said. ``There are a lot of ways to do it and save a lot of heartache.'' Copyright 1996-2008 The Miami Herald Media Company