June 17, 2020 - 9:31 AM
ATHENS, Greece - A Greek man has been arrested in the capital, accused of deceiving dozens of people who had serious or incurable medical conditions by administering bogus cures that allegedly resulted in three deaths, police said Wednesday. The 47-year-old man, who wasn't identified, was allegedly involved in at least 45 cases of deception, posing as a medical specialist with various false claims that included being an air force medic, a U.S.-trained pediatric oncologist, and an executive member of the International Red Cross, police said. The man was arrested in Athens on Tuesday, police said.
Many of his treatments involved the use of cannabis-based substances, handed out of unwitting patients.
Three people who died, allegedly due to failure of receiving proper treatment, were aged 14, 16, and 76 — their combined medical bills totalling 58,000 euros. The suspect, who has no genuine medical qualifications, was facing charges of manslaughter, fraud, and the production and use of counterfeit documents, and trafficking banned substances.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020