A California man charged with impersonating a doctor is accused of treating thousands of patients over years, including for cancer, prosecutors said.
Stephan Gevorkian, 44, of Studio City, faces five felony counts of practicing medicine without certification, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Monday in a statement.
“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,” Gascón said.
“Gevorkian is accused of practicing medicine without a license on thousands of individuals for several years,” the statement said.
Gevorkian owns and operates Pathways Medical in North Hollywood, prosecutors said. The business performs blood tests, advises patients about treatments and offers treatments for conditions including cancer and viral infections, prosecutors said.
On Nov. 17, 2022, an undercover investigator received consultation from Gevorkian. During that consultation, Gevorkian allegedly failed to recognize abnormal levels of a hormone that could indicate a serious medical condition, prosecutors said.
The state’s Department of Consumer Affairs, Division of Investigation, and the district attorney’s office’s Consumer Protection Division are investigating, prosecutors said.
Gevorkian’s office could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. His attorney was also not reached.
According to the district attorney’s office and court documents, a complaint for an arrest warrant was filed Wednesday and Gevorkian’s attorney was notified of the warrant.
Gevorkian was arraigned on the charges Friday, when a judge released him on his own recognizance under the condition he not practice medicine, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said Tuesday.
Gevorkian was never arrested, the spokesperson said.
Anyone who believes they have been victimized in this case is urged to call the Consumer Protection hotline at 213-257-2465, prosecutors said.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com.