Deep Dive
Shownotes Transcript
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Even in grade school, Matthew Scheidt Jr. wanted to be someone else. He told schoolmates that his father was a police officer and his mother was a nurse. He told them he lived in a lovely house with a manicured lawn. None of these things were true.
In reality, Matthew's parents divorced when he was five years old, when he lived in a Florida trailer park where he watched his mom get arrested for possession of crystal meth. Matthew Scheidt was forced to grow up too quickly. At age 12, he participated in the Osceola County Sheriff's Office Volunteer Explorer program, which teaches the law enforcement officers of tomorrow the basics of the job. At the same time, he volunteered at a Florida hospital because he also had an interest in medicine.
Matthew had lied about his age to get into both. At age 17, Matthew Scheid was living on his own. He was taking high school classes online and working a part-time summer job as a file clerk at a surgical company in Kissimmee. One of his duties was to run documents back and forth between the Osceola Regional Medical Center across the street. On one of these errands, in August 2011, Matthew Scheid approached the hospital's human resources department.
He told them he was a 23-year-old physician assistant student at Nova Southeastern University. He claimed he was assigned to Dr. Ramirez and needed an ID badge that granted him access to the emergency room. "Okay," said the HR employee, who just took Matthew's word for it. She printed the requested credentials right there on the spot. Matthew Scheidt bought some apps for his phone and some books to learn medical terminology.
And for the next two weeks, a 17-year-old boy wearing scrubs, a pager, and a stethoscope wandered the halls of the Osceola Regional Medical Center's emergency room. Matthew Scheid interviewed patients, conducted physical exams, and accessed confidential medical records. Sometimes he was asked to help restrain unruly patients or hold the hand of a child receiving sutures. But never was Matthew asked to assist in an emergency, except for that one time.
On August 25th, 2011, a woman was brought into the ER unresponsive. Her husband said she had overdosed on painkillers. Soon after, a physician tending to the woman burst into the hallway, screaming for assistance. Matthew Scheidt was the only one standing there. "You, start CPR," the doctor ordered. So he did.
Matthew performed the procedure for over 20 minutes and posted on Facebook that evening about how his arms were sore. He says he was certified. The woman died the next day, but there's no evidence that Matthew Scheidt's actions contributed.
In the days following, the 17-year-old phony physician's assistant grew bolder. He tried to use his Osceola Regional badge to enter a different medical center but was turned away, and he kept pestering HR at Osceola Regional to give him access to a restricted part of the hospital.
It raised a red flag. Someone double-checked Matthew Scheidt's qualifications and discovered there were none. Then called the police. Time now 6:10 and an unbelievable story here. We're learning new details this morning about the teenager who posed as a doctor at a Central Florida hospital. Police say 17-year-old Matthew Scheidt used his part-time summer job as a file clerk in a surgical company to obtain badges at a nearby hospital claiming he was a physician's assistant.
On September 2, 2011, Matthew Scheidt Jr. was arrested and interrogated for three hours. Initially, he was defiant. He blamed the HR staff for entering him into the computer system as a physician's assistant in the error. Let's even say that I said I was a physician's assistant. Let's just say that I was. Are you that stupid that you're just going to put me into the system with that? Are you without any credentials or any paperwork or nothing?
"I just want to find out who did this and put that into the system and have whoever did this fired because apparently they are too ignorant to have that position," Matthew Scheid told the detective. "This is my future. This is everything. I no longer have a job. I no longer work for the sheriff's office. Those are the only two things I ever wanted in life." Matthew was referring to his time in the volunteer explorer program when he was 12.
He no longer "worked" at the sheriff's office because he'd been caught repeatedly wearing his badge and a bulletproof vest in public pretending to be a real deputy. Eventually, during the interrogation, Matthew Scheid admits to making a mistake.
As for the incident involving him performing CPR, Matthew said he only performed the procedure for a minute or two while the doctor retrieved medications. And you know,
The only reason why I did do it was because there was nobody else in there and I'm not going to let her die. One of the techs had her run out of the room to go get something and I was told to take over CPR by a physician. At the end of the interrogation, Matthew Scheidt wrote an apology letter to Osceola Regional Medical Center. I was just wanting to be exposed at Rett. I am so sorry. I have learned to mature. I am so sorry and owe your hospital the biggest apology.
The Osceola Regional Medical Center released a statement of its own. "Patients treated in the ER during this time received the medical care they needed. We will continue our review of hospital practices to ensure that this will not occur again."
On October 6, 2011, Matthew Scheidt Jr. was formally charged as an adult with two counts of impersonating a physician's assistant and four counts of practicing medicine without a license. He pleaded not guilty. His trial was set for the following year. I don't know if I need to get him some psychiatric help. I don't know. The local media asked Matthew Scheidt Sr. for a response, but he was at a loss.
"If you can come up with the reason I'm all ears," he told WSVN. "I'm embarrassed. I'm floored. I love him, and those are the best things that I can say right now as a parent. I'm scratching my head right now. I'm scratching my head so hard that my hair is probably going to fall out." Matthew Scheidt Sr. probably kissed his last strands goodbye about three months later when his son was arrested again while out on bond.
This time for impersonating a cop in Miami. Local teen accused of impersonating a cop remains in a South Florida jail tonight. Matthew Scheidt was arrested in Miami after he identified himself to real officers as an Osceola County Sheriff's deputy. That arrest prompted new charges here where Scheidt is already accused of impersonating a physician assistant.
On September 2, 2011, Matthew Scheidt Jr. was cruising in South Beach in his recently purchased white Crown Victoria. He had a laptop mounted to the dashboard and takedown lights on his side mirror. While at a stoplight, Scheidt motioned to the car next to him. "Hey buddy, put your seatbelt on." "Why?" the other motorist asked. "Are you a cop?" "Yes, I am," Scheidt responded. "So am I," the motorist replied. "I'm undercover."
why don't you pull over to the side there inside matthew scheidt's car the cops found a handgun under the seat a taser handcuffs and t-shirts that said deputy there was also a badge that he'd kept from the volunteer explorer program and a non-functioning police radio that had been marked as stolen
Matthew Scheidt was kept in jail until his trial, which started in late August 2012. Scheidt's defense blamed the hospital administrators for letting it happen. They were prosecuting a teenager to save their own ass. Money.
This is about money. This is about liability. But it's no big deal. You know why they say, let's ship the blame. Why? Because Matthew's only 17 years old. It's no big deal to him. You heard Matthew Scheidt. You've got to know him. He's a 17-year-old kid and vicious. He really is every mother's dream. The prosecution said what happened was no mistake. No, Matthew Scheidt Jr.'s actions were bold and calculated.
As a result, as many as 450 patients were exposed to the risk of being cared for by a teenaged physician's assistant. Why go to the ER at night when the administration staff is not there? Why wear the scrubs? Why wear the lab coat? Why use the stethoscope? Why buy the books at Barnes & Noble and go to the library? Why put the apps on your phone?
because it was not a mistake. On August 30, 2012, Matthew Scheidt was convicted of two of three counts of impersonation and two counts of practicing medicine without a license. One charge was dropped because there wasn't enough evidence to prove that Scheidt had removed an IV from a patient. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of impersonating a physician's assistant as charged in the information. Matthew Scheidt reportedly wept as the verdict was read.
He was facing up to 25 years in prison, but on November 14, 2012, he was only sentenced to one with a year of house arrest and eight years probation and some mental health counseling. The judge cut Matthew Scheidt some slack because he was, quote, "...too young to appreciate the consequences of the offense."
Three years later, Scheidt told the news program "2020" that he still regrets that time in his life. "If I could go back and change the day that I went back and ask for that ID, of course I would change that. I can't get a house on my own. I can't go to school, like, I can't go to college or university. I'm a convicted felon for the rest of my life. I'm 21 years old now. I'm an adult. I know where my mind's at," Scheidt said. "Nothing like that will ever happen again. I can promise you that."
Well, Matthew, I can promise you this. Something like that always happens again. A teenager in Florida impersonates a medical doctor on this episode of Swindled.
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That's right, it is very hard to believe. Now witnesses told police that the teenager walked around with a white lab coat. They say he also had Saint Mary's logo on that white lab coat, had a stethoscope and as well as a face mask. They say the report says that he was even in an exam room.
On January 13, 2015, a pregnant patient at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, felt like something was off about the doctor in her exam room. He looked the part with his stethoscope, face mask, and lab coat, but he appeared to be a child. That patient asked other hospital staff about him. They weren't sure who he was either, but they'd seen him around the building for a month, roaming the halls and entering patients' rooms.
Finally, one OBGYN named Dr. Sebastian Kent had an encounter with a mysterious figure that put an end to it. Kent said the boy had left a note claiming to be an anesthesiologist on his desk and asked to shadow Dr. Kent. "The first thing I thought was, 'I'm really getting old because these young doctors look younger every year,'" Dr. Kent told FOX 13.
He told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that he was suspicious because of how young the kid looked. He tried to ingratiate himself with me so I would take him around and after a while it started to not make sense to me. I thought something was wrong. Dr. Kent shared his suspicions with security. They escorted the boy off the premises and called the police. Police interviewed the kid and searched his car. They found an additional lab coat hanging in the back seat. Dr. Malachi A. Love Robinson
He told police that he was 17 years old and that he had been a doctor for years. Malachi said his mother could vouch for him. She was on her way to the scene. When Malachi's mother arrived, she told the police quite a different story. She said her son had a mental illness and refused to take his medication. Malachi felt like that was irrelevant. This was all a simple misunderstanding that was being blown out of proportion. He had not treated any patients. He was simply shadowing physicians to learn as much as he could.
St. Mary's Medical Center agreed. They released a statement that read, quote, "The individual never had contact with any hospital patients and did not gain access to any patient care areas of the hospital at any time. The hospital immediately notified local authorities, who took the individual into custody, and we are cooperating with their ongoing investigation." St. Mary's declined to press charges, and the police determined no crime had been committed.
Neither Malachi Love Robinson's name nor age was released to the public, just like it hadn't been when he pulled a similar stunt a year before. In January 2014, 16-year-old Malachi entered an education services center, flaunting a Ph.D. and seeking employment as a medical instructor.
He tried to do the same thing at multiple high schools in the area before someone finally called the cops. The report said several principals at high schools told school police the student visited each school in the attempts of integrating himself with the medical academies as an instructor/teacher. The report says when school officials questioned him, he replied he knew he was not a medical doctor, believes he is a compulsive liar, and may have a medical condition.
Malachi Love Robinson has always wanted to be a doctor. He wasn't about to let a few rules and regulations or education stand in his way. And about eight months after he was thrown out of St. Mary's, it became clear that Malachi had already made his next move. The Florida Department of Health received a package from an anonymous source that included a letter and other documents regarding Malachi Love Robinson.
The letter stated that the now 18-year-old had been impersonating a medical doctor, a naturopathic doctor, and a psychologist. The letter, dated September 16, 2015, requires the highest priority, it starts off by stating, and continues to describe how Malachi Love Robinson claims to have three degrees, all acquired by the age of 18. Please intervene, it states. He's a very skilled con man, signed, a concerned citizen.
The package also contained printouts of websites like Healthgrades.com, a doctor review platform on which Malachi had a profile. He was listed as an MD. It said he was 25 years old and he had a 5-star rating. On that same page there was a self-written biography section. It read: "Hello, I am Dr. Malachi Love Robinson.
I am a well-rounded professional that treats and cares for patients, using a system of practice that bases treatment on physiological, psychological, and mechanical methods such as air, water, light, heat, earth,
phototherapy, food and herb therapy, psychotherapy, electrotherapy, physiotherapy, minor and/or official surgery, mechanotherapy, naturopathic corrections and manipulation, and natural methods of modalities, together with natural medicines, natural processed foods and herbs, and nature's remedies. Dr. Lev Robinson's bio did not list any schools.
His name is nowhere to be found in the Florida Department of Health's license verification database. He is truly a danger to the general public, the anonymous letter read. Around the same time that letter was sent, Malachi had been laid off from his most recent role as program director at a Boynton Beach rehab facility after the business was sold. He had been promoted in less than three months.
Love Robinson routinely met with patients at New Directions Treatment Center, which was an intensive outpatient program for drug and alcohol addiction. When state health investigators followed up on that anonymous letter and questioned Malachi about his duties at New Directions, he told them he would counsel the patients, he would listen to them, pray with them, and advise the medical doctors on staff if the patient's medication needed adjustments.
Love Robinson admitted that he never attempted medical school and he is not a licensed medical doctor, the report states. Love Robinson stated he considers himself as a medical doctor and has people refer to him as a medical doctor. His PhD, he told investigators, came from Ulife Church, an online Christian school.
Universal Life Church Seminary is one of those websites for people off the street to get instantly ordained when they're asked to officiate a wedding. But they offer other products too, such as a quote, doctorate in divinity, an honorary degree for those who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to ministry and theology. It costs $29.95. There was no studying required.
You pay the money. YouLife sends you an official looking diploma on which your name is printed along with the prefixes and suffixes you've rightfully earned. At the time the website stated quote, "You will legally be entitled to use the title 'Doctor' in front of your name and 'DD' after your name." That's what 18 year old Malachi Love Robinson did and that's why New Directions hired him. They thought he was a PhD.
Plus, he lied about his age and provided an additional diploma from Arizona State University that showed he had a doctorate in psychology, which he would later admit was a fraud. "He fooled all of us," Dr. Lisa Sassetti told WPBF. Dr. Sassetti was the owner of New Directions. She was the person who hired Love Robinson. He was paid up to $70,000 a year.
Florida health investigators determined that Malachi Love Robinson went too far in his role at New Directions, committing the quote "practice" or attempted practice of medicine without a license.
and leading the public to believe he was a licensed medical doctor without holding an active license. The state ordered Malachi Lev Robinson to cease and desist from practicing medicine and issued a citation of $1,253 for the three months he worked at the rehab facility. Fortunately for Malachi, after paying the fine, he would still have plenty of money left over to do what he really wanted to do.
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So many physicians, they speak to me, and they're just in awe. And it's not because I'm a great person, not because I'm some miracle from heaven sent. It's just because I have a passion for helping people. Some people have been telling me that opening this practice was a bad idea because, you know, of my age. And I tell them, well, you know, if that's the case, then why did Jesus come? He was 12 when he started preaching.
In January 2016, Facebook friends of Malachi Love Robinson were sent an invite to an event for the grand opening of New Birth, New Life Alternative Medicine and Urgent Care Clinic. The new clinic offered family planning and holistic healing. It was owned by Dr. Malachi Love Robinson.
The event page said that New Birth was located at 4700 North Congress Avenue in West Palm Beach, in one of those medical office buildings full of every kind of practice, with the letter boards on the first floor that list all of the physicians' names. There he was, Suite 303, Dr. Malachi Love Robinson, MD, PhD, PsyD, HHP-C, and AMP-C.
Nobody is sure what those last two meant, but he had the same thing listed on the clinic's website and Facebook page. Probably some kind of naturopathic bullshit, even though the state of Florida stopped issuing naturopathy licenses in 1957. Dr. Malachi Love Robinson did have a legitimate national provider identifier, however. It's the number a provider needs to accept payments from Medicaid and Medicare.
How did Malachi Love Robinson obtain his NPI? Nobody knows, but it's fun to think about how many so-called doctors are doing the same thing right now. The local ABC affiliate WPBF was tipped off to Malachi's current endeavor and showed up unannounced with a camera.
Anchor Terry Parker said Malachi took off his lab coat and stethoscope when he saw them approaching. I would never prepare myself as an MD. I have no reason to. And, you know, some people, they've, you know, they've caused problems for me in the past, and it's been a very emotional ride. But you do call yourself Dr. Robinson. Yes, because I do have...
A PhD, I do, yes. In what? I have a PhD in holistic and alternative medicine, as well as I have a PhD in science and medicine.
Malachi told Terry that he holds a PhD in holistic and alternative medicine and that he was in the process of hiring licensed professional medical doctors. He had already hired two other employees, an operations director with no experience in the medical field and a program director with the same PhD in divinity from Ulife Church.
Anyone that wants to portray me as a bad person, by all means. I haven't broken the law. I haven't seen patients. I haven't performed surgeries or any of this nonsense. And whatever you see on the internet, feel free to copy, feel free to paste it, feel free to take a picture of it.
But I've never wrote these things. I've never sat here and went on to these sites and registered. I've never sat here and went and said I am an MD. Never. Because I have an understanding of how these things work. See, my mother, she didn't raise a fool. I'm thankful for her. Because one thing she always taught me was to make sure that my I's were dotted and my T's were crossed. Starting this practice, I made sure I wasn't stepping out of my boundaries.
I made sure that I wasn't doing something I should not have been doing. At one point, Malachi Love Robinson asked the team to stop recording, but he then invited them back for an exclusive sit-down interview. Malachi was adamant that he had done nothing wrong. I didn't operate. I didn't reach in someone's uterus. You know, I didn't snatch out a baby.
I didn't do any of that. I haven't broken the law. I haven't operated. I haven't done surgery. I have not said I'm an MD and I'm going to sit here and do whatever. I have not said that. What I have said is that I specialize in naturopathic medicine. That is what I do. That is the field.
And whether people want to assume that I've done the wrong way or the right way, that is for them to perceive. But I don't think any board or any community or any health care system would just allow someone to rent a building, allow someone to put up licenses, allow someone to order office material such as
such as tables, exam tables, and equipment and not question whether these things are real. I have been scrutinized before I even got this building. They requested information on my education. They requested information on my license. They requested information on all this stuff in order to approve me for this place. If Malachi wasn't passing himself off as an M.D., then why, Terry Parker asked, did the placard on his door read, Dr. Malachi Love Robinson?
Malachi pointed to the tape over the suffix as proof, but Terry reminded him this wasn't the first time he's been accused of doing this. What about that police report when he was confronted inside of St. Mary's? No, ma'am. I requested to shadow Malachi.
Some physicians. Next thing I know, cops are there. That's all I know. All I know. Have no idea. This story was broadcast everywhere. Like I'm some insane maniac that's just out here doing crazy things. I will say this. Allegations and accusations can be as a dagger in the back. I will simply say, shadowing a physician, there's nothing wrong with that.
Whatever the community assumes and whatever the community, whatever picture they want to paint, it can be beautiful or it can be ugly. It's whatever they want to see. But I will say that there are some instances with the news that have not been done correctly. They have not been corrected. They have not been reconciled. They've been posted out. And it happens with a lot of people. The news comes, they get a little snippet of information.
And they blast it. Oh, it's everywhere. Oh, it's everywhere. And it's like, geez, I'm famous. But not for a good reason. And it's detrimental. It's detrimental to a person's character. It's detrimental to a person's business. It's detrimental to their family. It's detrimental to their overall well-being. Whatever anyone wants to perceive from that story, they can perceive. I have nothing to hide. I have no story to tell. I have no lie to give.
I have no, really, no care to give. On February 16th, 2016, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office sent an undercover agent to Dr. Love Robinson's clinic. The female officer complained of a sore throat. Malachi introduced himself as a doctor of homeopathic medicine and took her back to exam room one, where he weighed her, took her temperature, and measured her blood pressure, which he described as perfect.
He then used his trusty stethoscope to listen to her lungs, which he said were clear, and her heart, which he said sounded strong. Dr. Love-Robinson assured the undercover agent that she was "healthy" and should not have any issues. He recommended using some over-the-counter medication for her allergies. Soon enough, the agent signaled for backup. Narcotics agents entered the exam room and arrested Malachi Love-Robinson.
How many patients he saw in the three months his clinic was open is unclear. An 18-year-old down in South Florida is facing serious charges after detectives say he was practicing medicine without a license. Investigators arrested Malachi Love Robinson for allegedly giving a physical exam to a female undercover officer. They told you, Malachi, not to do this again. The Department of Health told you that back in October. Um, like I said...
All these are accusations and I will have my lawyer contact you. I'm hurt because of the accusations and the allegations, but like I said, this is not the first time where I've been accused and I will pursue this. Malachi Love Robinson was charged with a third degree felony and for the second time ordered by the Department of Health to cease and desist from practicing medicine without a license. Just like St. Mary's, Malachi said it was all a big misunderstanding. He scheduled a press conference after he bonded out of jail.
This is what he had to say. Good evening everyone.
First of all, I would just like to simply say that on behalf of myself and my family, we thank you for the concerns in the community about the accusations that have happened. I just want to say that I am deeply saddened and a little disrespected by some of the things that have come forth. But I will say that my attorneys are working hard. They're working around the clock to make sure that this issue gets resolved in the best way possible.
I would just simply ask that you please allow the attorneys to do their job. You respect the privacy, you respect my privacy and my family's privacy. And just please allow us to deal with this issue the way any normal family would. And I would simply ask that if you could please pray for us in this time that everything that has happened that
that we get the truth out of it. And not only the truth, but we can shed some good light on some of the things that are happening in the community today. That we can shed a good light on some of the positive things that are happening and stop worrying about bashing someone and start lifting them up.
Once again, I want to thank everyone for their support, whether it was good or bad. I've had some great supporters, and I've had some people who have said some negative things. But everyone is entitled to their opinion. And once again, I am not upset. And I respect the community for the concerns that they have. But once again, just please respect our wishes and allow our attorneys to do the best that they can to work on this case. Thank you so very much, and have a great night.
Malachi didn't even respect his own privacy. He willingly appeared on Inside Edition, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and others to defend himself. The highlight of his media tour came when Love Robinson walked out of an interview with ABC's Nightline after correspondent Matt Gutman asked Love Robinson if he was a fraud. Are you a fraud? I don't appreciate your tone.
I don't appreciate the way you're portraying this interview to actually be. I'm sorry, I'm going to have to cut this interview short. There is no law that states that you have to have a bachelor's or master's or a PhD to take someone with temperature. Anyone should be able to open a clinic? This is a free country. Anyone with the funds to open a clinic, let me finish, can open a clinic.
a clinic. This was me simply trying to do something for the community in a light that I saw that was needed. And honestly, if you ask me, many people are getting tired of hearing that they have to take a script just to feel better. When it comes to that instance, like I say, allegations and once again, allegations. And if someone asks me again, allegations. Now, I will say that I'm not pleading guilty because honestly,
My attorneys will handle that, but what I will say is that the practice is a separate entity from any personal matters. Malachi also talked to the New York Times. "I'm not trying to hurt people," he said. "I'm just a young black guy who opened up a practice, who's trying to do some good in the community. If that is a negative thing, we have a lot more work to do in the community than to single out me." The South Florida Sun-Syntonal talked to Malachi's grandfather, who raised him.
Malachi did what he did because he felt like he was doing the right thing, William McKenzie told the paper. He's not out doing drugs. He's not out trying to rob nobody. He's trying to do something constructive. And if he did do something and the paperwork wasn't right, well, he can get ahead of himself sometimes. And he may have been trying too hard, but he had good intentions. If he has slipped and did something wrong, I just ask that everybody pray for him.
Malachi's lawyer, Andrew Stein, begged to differ. He said his client had done nothing wrong at all.
He shared his primary defense to reporters that the state does not require someone to have a medical license to run a clinic. Therefore, Malachi Love Robinson did not break the law. Mr. Love Robinson told her several times with a witness present that he was not a medical doctor and that if she would want to come back when the doctor was going to be there, they would like to make an appointment for her and she refused.
Stein also said that a mental health defense might come into play. I know he's a grown man in the eyes of the law, Stein told CBS 12. But the point is, he's still a young man. And he's very, I would say, tender in how he has been raised and how he has grown up. And we can't lose sight of that.
Two weeks later, Malachi Love Robinson was arrested again.
86-year-old Anita Morrison began to experience severe intestinal pains in December 2015. The gastroenterologist she saw was no help, so she decided to try a homeopathic remedy. With the help of her home nurse, Anita found the number to New Birth New Life Medical Center online.
Ms. Morrison was very impressed with Dr. Malachi Love-Robinson the first time he came to her home. The baby-faced physician spoke intelligently and clearly and wore a white lab coat with a stethoscope. Dr. Love-Robinson examined Anita's lungs, heart, and legs during that first visit. He diagnosed her with arthritis, which Anita Morrison thought was weird. She had seen hundreds of doctors in recent years and no one had ever mentioned it.
Don't worry, Ms. Morrison. Dr. Love Robinson could provide some relief. He went to the store and bought valerian and melatonin, two very common sleep aids, and he sold them to Anita Morrison for thousands of dollars. It was a shame because Anita Morrison said they didn't even work. Quote, Maybe I wanted to believe because I was in such pain. I just went along with it.
Dr. Malachi Love Robinson returned to Anita Morrison's home on four more occasions, raising the price of his house call each time. In total, Anita Morrison paid $3,494 to New Birth New Life Medical Center. During those examinations, Malachi recommended she have a colonoscopy, an endoscopy, an ultrasound, and a pap smear. Anita refused the last one but paid thousands of dollars to have some of the other procedures done.
Dr. Love-Robinson said he would reimburse the cost when he finally did. Anita Morrison cashed the check and it bounced. Honest mistake, Anita assumed. She kept in touch with the doctor. He was the first person she called one day when she was in excruciating pain. Malachi Love-Robinson rushed to Anita's home where he quickly determined there was nothing he could do. He called 911, told them his name was Dr. Love and that one of his patients needed emergency medical care.
When the ambulance arrived, Malachi convinced Anita Morrison to leave her keys and purse behind. He watched the ambulance take her away before ripping out a few checks from Anita's checkbook. Dr. Lev Robinson visited Anita Morrison that evening in the hospital. He recommended she take some expensive tests that she didn't need. He wished her well and then he left and Anita Morrison never saw him again. It was for the best because she would love to wring his neck.
When Anita Morrison was discharged, she discovered almost $40,000 was missing from her bank account. I thought I trusted him. He was very personable. And I didn't suspect he was a fraud. And it was very alarming when I started to put things together and I noticed things were not right.
One check was made out to Dr. Malachi A. Love for $500. Anita's signature had been forged. Another check was made out to the New Birth New Life Medical Center for more than $1,200. Again, the signature was forged. Other checks totaling more than $35,000 were used for credit card and auto loan payments. The check cashed by the dealership had Malachi's name in the memo line.
Well, he forged my signature and he took funds out of my bank account. And I don't know what they'll do with them, but he deserves some kind of punishment.
Anita Morrison turned her bank statements over to the authorities, who then obtained ATM footage of Malachi Love Robinson depositing Anita's checks to himself. He pulls up in a red Nissan Maxima that Ms. Morrison unknowingly just paid off. He's wearing his signature lab coat and stethoscope.
The Sheriff's Office did some more research on Malachi, which led to the sting that snared him for impersonating a doctor. When they arrested him that day, investigators questioned Malachi about his relationship with Anita Morrison. "Hi, tell me how you know Ms. Morrison." "Ms. Morrison called me. Ms. Morrison called me. She had some questions about alternative medicine."
She asked me what holistic herbs, what herbs was I using and I told her the herbs I was using and that's what she requested to use. I made sure I told her that I was not a doctor and that I wanted to make sure that she understood that this was just for questions that she had. - She never gave you any money? - Just for the medic. So I'm nervous. - It's okay.
Additional charges related to stealing Anita Morrison's savings were filed on March 1, 2016. Malachi Love Robinson was now facing 10 charges in total, two counts of practicing naturopathy without a license, three counts of forgery, two counts of grand theft from a person 65 or older, and three counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information. He faced a maximum punishment of up to 70 years in prison.
Another charge was added later, related to Malachi's old boss, Dr. Lisa Sassetti. Back when he worked for her, Dr. Sassetti noticed some unexpected expenses on her credit card statement. There was a cell phone payment, car insurance providers, some company called Next Day Diplomas. Worst of all was a $28,000 payment to a car dealership for a new Nissan Rogue. In total, Malachi Love Robinson had spent almost $42,000.
Dr. Sassetti confronted Malachi at the time and he apologized profusely. He wrote a check for $5,877 on the spot with a promise to pay her back the rest at a later date. Of course, that check bounced. Malachi Love Robinson posted $18,000 bail. He was free until trial.
The widespread news coverage did Malachi no favors in the court of public opinion. But his principal investor, Perseus Wells, said he'd wait for the verdict before he threw his old friend under the bus. That's right, Malachi Love Robinson had a financial investor. He had met Perseus Wells at a cell phone store where Perseus worked. Perseus gave Malachi $6,000 as an investment, not so much into the person but into the idea of a medical practice. It seemed like it could pay dividends.
So, you know, I look at people who ask me, how can you be fooled?
How can the state of Florida be fooled? You know, how can St. Mary's be fooled? This is no average 18 year old.
He called me the night he got out, Perseus told WBPF. He gave me a long apology and said it was just a misunderstanding and he would never put me in a situation where he would involve me in stuff. He still tells me that he is innocent. I feel like I shouldn't judge until I know. When the gavel hits and the jury decides that he was lying and the evidence mounts up to the fact that he is a liar, that's when I'm going to say to myself,
Yep, he's a liar. Unfortunately, Perseus Wells would have to wait longer to decide. Malachi's trial was delayed during a proceeding where everyone expected the defendant to take a plea deal. Love Robinson's lawyer requested to withdraw from the case. He told the judge that Malachi hadn't been answering his phone calls until those court issues were sorted out. The 18-year-old doctor still had his freedom, which he used to get arrested again.
On August 29th, 2016, Malachi received new charges of grand theft for writing a bad check to West Palm Nissan for a $1,500 down payment on a car he never possessed. Soon after, Malachi's new lawyer quit. He posted bail again, this time for $8,000. And two weeks later, on September 10th, 2016, he was arrested again.
This time in Stafford County, Virginia. A place not in Florida, the state he wasn't supposed to leave. Now 19 years old, Malachi Love Robinson tried to buy a $35,000 Lexus using his godmother's information. The dealership googled his name because he was acting kind of funny. They saw his previous arrest and called the cops. The cops asked Malachi's godmother if she had authorized the purchase. "Absolutely not," she told them. So, they hauled him off to jail.
On May 22, 2017, Malachi Love Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of false statements to obtain credit and a forgery charge. He was sentenced to one year in a Virginia jail. His trial in Florida would have to wait.
But finally, on January 4th, 2018, Malachi, now 20 years old, pleaded guilty to 14 criminal charges. He was ordered to repay his victims $80,000, and while facing 90 years in prison, he was only given three and a half.
Later that year, Inside Edition interviewed Malachi Love Robinson in prison.
I was a young kid," he told them. A young kid that got overly ambitious and just said to hell with the rules and regulations. "I 100% regret what I've done. And the reason being is that because, number one, I've messed my life up, you know, a great deal." "Do you still want to be a doctor?" "I do." Love, Robinson is scheduled to be released in 2020.
Malachi Love Robinson was released from prison on September 23, 2019, about 20 months into his three and a half year sentence.
Four months later, Malachi was arrested. And a South Florida man who made national headlines for pretending to be a doctor when he was a teenager is now facing new fraud charges. 23-year-old Malachi Love Robinson was arrested yesterday morning in Palm Beach County. The shipping broker he worked for accused him of telling clients to send money to his personal account instead of the company. Investigators say he stole more than $10,000 of the company's money. Money?
Malachi Love Robinson had landed a contract position at United States of Freight in Delray Beach. He applied using his middle name, Alex. A few months into his new job of connecting customers to transport companies, someone at United States of Freight noticed that money was missing.
Turns out Malachi was instructing customers to pay him directly using PayPal and Venmo or they could write a check to National Logistics Division LLC, a company that he created two months after getting out of prison for the sole purpose of ripping off his new employer. Truly astonishing. "I can't say how truly sorry I am. I don't want to go to jail," Malachi said in a text to his boss when confronted.
He promised to pay the money back. "I'm doing everything I can to make it right," he wrote. You may remember this guy as Dr. Love, the then teenager who was arrested after practicing medicine without a license. Well, the now 25-year-old Malachi Love Robinson is heading back to prison. Malachi Love Robinson pleaded guilty to his latest grand theft charges on January 2, 2023. He was sentenced to 28 months in prison. He's scheduled to be released in 2026.
See you then. Probably. Swindled is written, researched, produced, and hosted by me, a concerned citizen, with original music by Trevor Howard, a.k.a. The Former, a.k.a. Dr. Love. For more information about Swindled, you can visit swindledpodcast.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok at swindledpodcast.
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