The Bergen County prosecutor recently announced an arrest on rare charges: conducting surgery and practicing medicine without a medical license. The 65-year-old man arrested is a former doctor and current radio show host who is known as "Dr. Al" to his listeners.
His weekly radio show has been broadcast since 1995, which is when he lost his medical license after being convicted of 10 sex offense counts.
He apparently served a year in prison after being found guilty of criminal sexual contact with female patients.
According to the prosecutor, "Dr. Al" started practicing medicine again in 2003 under a false name.
Officials had obtained a court order to prohibit the former doctor from "counseling patients/clients, in a nutritional counseling business, health shop, health care service or similar establishment and from using the title or description 'doctor,' 'M.D.,' 'N.D.,'Naturopathic Physician,' 'Nutritional Doctor' or any other title denoting licensure in any dealings with clients or the public in connection with any nutritional counseling business, health shop, health care service or similar establishment..."
Now the prosecutor alleges that for the past couple of years, the former doctor worked at a health and wellness center in Wyckoff, offering nutritional counseling.
According to the prosecutor, the facility's website refers to the former doctor's degrees in medicine and biochemistry.
The man was formerly a family practitioner in West Paterson.
Authorities in the 1990s accused him of convincing dozens of women to get gynecological exams to satisfy his sexual desires, rather than for the women's health needs.
After his sentence was served, he applied for reinstatement as a doctor, but was turned down by the state Board of Medical Examiners.
This is yet another example of how punishment for a sex offense can extend well beyond any time spent behind bars.
Source: CliffviewPilot.com: "Radio host 'Dr. Al' charged with unlicensed practice of medicine, surgery,"Jerry DeMarco, Jan. 17, 2012