Alleged ’fake doctor’ arraigned in Calif.

A Valley Center, Calif., man pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges including practicing medicine without a license, the Los Angeles Times reported. At an arraignment at the San Diego Superior Court, state prosecutors charged that Robert O. Young, 61, profited financially and caused bodily harm as a “fake doctor” providing alternative therapies to cancer patients, many of whom were terminally ill.

Counsel for Young testified that while it was true that Young’s degrees were not recognized by any official accreditation agency, he hadn’t told anyone they were, either. Young's attorney, Paul Pfingst, told reporters that when injections were necessary, Young hired licensed physicians and nurses. Young is also being investigated by the Medical Board of California and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, prosecutors said. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years and eight months in prison.

Source: Los Angeles Times