18-year-old Malachi Love-Robinson, from West Palm Beach, Florida, was arrested last week for pretending to be a medical doctor. The teenager had opened a medical practice of his own in a professional medical building at 4700 North Congress Ave., where he swindled patients for thousands of dollars before he was caught and arrested.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Love-Robinson has tried posing as a doctor. In January last year he was caught impersonating a gynecologist in an exam room at St. Mary’s Medical Center. Then 17, he happened to be wearing a coat with the clinic’s logo, a face mask, and a stethoscope. The staff at the clinic were flabbergasted and later recalled seeing him roaming the halls for at least a month before the incident.

“I’ve been in practice for 36 years, this is the first time something like this has happened,” Dr. Sebastian Kent, OB GYN at the center, told the Sun Sentinel. “It’s strange. Very, very strange.”

Photo: New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center & Urgent Care

Love-Robinson claimed at the time that he was not trying to impersonate a doctor. “I requested to shadow some physicians,” he said. “The next thing I know, the cops are there.” Because he claimed he did not come in direct contact with any of the patients, the center did not press charges and the boy was free to go. But his deceptive streak was far from over – he was caught once more in October for posing as a massage therapist without a license at a rehab center in Boynton Beach. He got away easy this time as well, with only a cease and desist notice from the Department of Health.

In January, Love-Robinson struck for the third time, in what can only be called his grandest scheme yet. He set up his own clinic – New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center & Urgent Care – posing as its 25-year-old co-founder, CEO, and President. On the clinic’s website he calls himself Dr. Malachi A. Love-Robinson PhD, HHP-C, AMP-C, “a well rounded professional that treats, and cares for patients, using a system of practice that bases treatment of physiological functions and abnormal conditions on natural laws governing the human body.”

Photo: New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center & Urgent Care

The practice actually took off, with a steady stream of patients visiting Love-Robinson’s office. His fraud might have gone undetected for months, if not for the grand opening he’d thrown three weeks ago. A few of his family members who attended knew that he was no doctor, so they tipped off the authorities. The police were finally able to arrest him this time, after catching him in the act in an undercover operation.

“Members of PBNTF and Department of Health conducted an undercover operation at the medical office of Love-Robinson,” a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department said. “During this undercover operation, Love-Robinson performed a physical exam on an undercover agent and offered medical advice.” He was taken into custody on Tuesday last week, and released on a $21,000 bail Wednesday morning. He is now facing several charges including practicing medicine without a license, grand theft, and fraud.

Photo: New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center & Urgent Care

One of Love-Robinson’s victims, 86-year-old Anita Morrison, claimed that she’d paid him over $3,000 in treatment fees. The con-artist visited her home several times to treat her for a severe stomach pain, diagnosing her with arthritis and selling her natural vitamins. During one visit he called an ambulance, and recommended that she leave her keys and wallet at home, assuring that he’d lock up after her. But the woman later found out that her bank account was empty. Love-Robinson had apparently forged and cashed three checks without her consent, totalling $2,794. This was in addition to the money she’d already paid him for treatment.

“I had severe pain and I would call him and he’ll say I’ll be right over, I have just the right pill for you for the pain,” Morrison said. “When he came along I said good, I said God is good, he sent him he’s going to help me and this is what turned out.”

Photo: Malachi Love-Robinson

Love-Robinson’s grandfather, William McKenzie, is in disbelief over the turn of events. He had genuinely believed that his grandson had started a legitimate practice. “Well once he opened up the office and the practice I felt like it was something legit that he’s trying to do,” McKenzie said. “If he has slipped and did something wrong I just ask everybody to pray for him.”

Sadly, Love-Robinson appears to have no remorse over his actions and is refusing to accept that he committed fraud. In a phone interview with ABC Los Angeles he admitted that he didn’t graduate from medical school, but also insisted that there was nothing wrong with his actions. “The issue I face now is accusations,” he told ABC correspondent Matt Gutman. “I have shadowed many doctors. I have been studying this particular field for a while. It may not have been eight years, nine years, ten years. But it has been long enough to, I would say, to justify what I do.”

“There are many types of degrees out there that hold the title of doctor – whether they are physicists or engineers. Just because someone has the title of doctor in front of their name does not necessarily imply ‘MD,’” he added. But the ABC clip clearly shows a reporter revealing the letters ‘MD’ typed on Love-Robinson’s nameplate in his clinic. When asked about this, he simply said that the sign was going to be changed. He also denied stealing money from Morrison, who is old enough to be his grandmother.

When the interviewer pressed him for more information, Love-Robinson ended the interview in a huff, saying: “I don’t appreciate your tone. I don’t appreciate they way you are portraying this interview to actually be. I’m going to have to cut this interview short.”

Sources: ABC News, Sun Sentinel, WPBF