Gerald Barnbaum
Gerald Barnbaum | |
---|---|
Born | 1933 Chicago, Illinois |
Died | (aged 84) |
Other names | Gerald Barnes, Jerold C. Barnes, Jerald C. Barnes, Gerald Charles Barnes |
Occupation | Former pharmacist |
Criminal status | Deceased |
Criminal charge | Fraud, Identity Theft, Manslaughter, Escaping Custody |
Penalty | 12.5 years in federal prison |
Gerald Barnbaum (1933 - June 15, 2018), aka "Gerald Barnes", "Jerold C. Barnes", "Jerald C. Barnes" and "Gerald Charles Barnes", was a pharmacist who posed as a medical doctor between 1976 and 2000.
Biography
Fraud as doctor and first convictions
Born in
In 1979, his negligence and lack of medical knowledge contributed to the death of John McKenzie, a 29-year-old undiagnosed
Despite McKenzie's death, after his release from prison and still on parole, Barnbaum continued to practice medicine fraudulently. He briefly served as a referral doctor, but was caught in 1984 when he tried to apply for hospital privileges and the real Dr. Barnes blew the whistle. He was convicted of grand theft and forgery and sentenced to three years and four months jail. The state medical board, however, never flagged the real Dr. Barnes' file.[nb 1]
His third conviction was in 1989 for stealing the identity of San Francisco pharmacist Donald Barnes;[nb 2] he was caught when he tried to land a job at a Los Angeles pharmacy using Barnes' license.[citation needed]
Arrested again in early 1991 for parole violations and released in October, the impostor worked for four and a half years in a half-dozen medical facilities in the Los Angeles area. He earned more than $400,000, while the various medical facilities billed insurance companies and individuals approximately $5 million for his services.[citation needed]
In 1995, he obtained a position as staff physician at Executive Health Group, a Los Angeles clinic that handled physical checkups on
Plea deal, escape, and incarceration
Federal authorities joined the investigation, since Barnbaum had defrauded federal employees. Facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life in federal prison, Barnbaum pleaded guilty to
During a transfer to another prison in 2000, Barnbaum escaped while on a transfer furlough from a prison in California to another minimum security prison in Minnesota. He was captured by the US Marshals Service four weeks later while working in yet another medical clinic. He was sentenced to an additional six months in prison for escaping custody, to be served consecutively with his original sentence.[
Barnbaum's case was profiled on the TV series Masterminds, in 2007 on American Greed, in the second episode of the first season.[citation needed], and in 2013 on Who the (Bleep)... Season 1, Episode 11 “Bad Medicine.”
Death
Gerald Barnbaum died in prison on June 15, 2018, according to information available online from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He was 85.
Notes
- ^ The actual Dr. Barnes is licensed by the Medical Board of California, License No. A22621.
- ^ The actual Donald Barnes, R.Ph., is licensed by the California Board of Pharmacy, License No. 23375.
Further information
- Inmate information from United States Bureau of Prisons
- John Carlova. "A Loaded Gun Waiting to Go Off." Medical Economics, 1/21/1985.
- Elizabeth Fernandez. Bizarre Medical Masquerade: Determined con man steals Stockton doctor's identity for 20 years. San Francisco Chronicle, 2/18/2001.
- John Mesirow. Talk About The Long Con. LegalJuice.com, 6/29/2007.
- Kenneth B. Noble. Doctor's Specialty Turns Out to Be Masquerade. The New York Times, 4/17/1996.
- American Greed, CNBC (2007). "The Impostor: Dr. Barnes / Interstate Bank Mart Bandit" Season 1. episode 2 (original air date June 28, 2007). Viewed July 12, 2020.
References
- ^ BOP Inmate Locator: Gerald Barnbaum #05456-112