Wilton PD: 'Menopause Matters' Author Stole $39K From Client

WILTON, CT — A prolific author on menopause was arrested in Wilton after police said he altered client checks to steal nearly $40,000. Micha Harpaz, of Lonetown Road in Redding, turned himself in to Wilton police Oct. 22. He was charged with first-degree larceny and 21 counts of third-degree forgery stemming from an investigation regarding fraudulent checks connected to his business, Menopause Matters, LLC.

Under the name Mickey Harpaz, he is the author of the books, "The Anti-Diet: How to Eat, Lose & Live," (1995), and "Menopause Reset! Reverse Weight Gain, Speed Fat Loss and Get Your Body Back in 3 Simple Steps" (2010). The author's website credits Harpaz as a health and fitness talk show consultant for Connecticut Independent Television, and the former president of the Western Connecticut American Cancer Society.

According to the author's website, Harpaz was the author of more than 700 articles on menopause, "possibly making him the most prolific writer on the subject." His most recent book, "Fifty Shades of Menopause," is a compilation of many of those articles.

In addition to offering links to subscribe to the author's "Menopause Matters" newsletters, Harpaz's site offered readers the chance to sign up for "gold" and "platinum" tiered personal consultation programs.

Harpaz was taking in checks from a client and altering the checks to larger amounts before depositing them, according to the police report. The total amount stolen from the client was $39,000 dollars, according to police. Not a medical doctor, Harpaz "developed specialized health programs" for more than 11,000 patients, and a large percentage of those were menopausal women, according to his site.

Harpaz was released from custody and scheduled to appear at Norwalk Superior Court Friday.