Fake Doc Warned 2 Real Officers About Erectile Dysfunction, State Says

HAINES CITY, FL — Manuel Cordova isn’t a real doctor, but he attempted to play one on the radio and in real life. That’s according to the Florida Department of Health, which announced the 75-year-old Haines City man’s arrest on Monday.

“The department first became aware of the situation after an unnamed DOH staff member alerted our unlicensed activity investigator after hearing the subject’s radio show,” Brad Dalton, DOH’s deputy press secretary, told Patch. “That internal complaint was received on December 4, 2015, and sparked the investigation.”

The investigation itself took some unusual turns, the department noted.

On Jan. 8, an undercover investigator from DOH reported to Cordova’s office at 56 N. 5th St. in Haines City. The agent was diagnosed “with a number of serious and non-existent illnesses,” the department wrote in a media release. Cordova is also accused of giving the agent a treatment plan to address the illnesses, the agency noted.

The state's investigation report says Cordova told the DOH agent he was suffering from "high acid, kidney problems, arthritis, circulatory issues, due to a problem in the lower aorta." He also warned the agent of "possible future erectile dysfunction," the report noted.

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During the course of a joint operation with the Haines City Police Department, one of that agency’s officers also paid Cordova’s office a visit as a “patient,” the release said. The undercover officer was diagnosed on Feb. 26 “with similar conditions,” the release said. The investigation report notes that Cordova also told the officer he was facing erectile dysfunction and cirrhosis of the liver. Again, Cordova handed out a proposed treatment plan, the agency noted. 

The problem, according to both agencies, is that Cordova “is not a licensed medical doctor in the state of Florida nor does he hold any other type of health care licenses.”

Haines City Police brought Cordova into custody on Feb. 26, following their officer’s visit. He faces two counts of unlicensed practice and one count of fraud. Cordova was released from the Polk County Jail in lieu of $3,000 bond, jail records indicate.

“At the time of his arrest, the department issued a cease and desist (order) which put an end to our investigation,” Dalton said.

It is unclear how many patients Cordova allegedly treated, Dalton added.

This is not the first time in recent history an allegedly phony doctor has been busted by the state. Last month, an 18-year-old was jailed in West Palm Beach after investigators learned he had opened his own office. Like Cordova, Malachi A. Love-Robinson faces unlicensed practice and fraud charges.

The state of Florida has a team of 18 investigators, spread across 11 field offices, to investigate complaints about unlicensed activity, Dalton said.

“The Unlicensed Activity Unit of the Division of Medical Quality Assurance here in Florida is unique when compared to other states across the nation,” he said. “It is the only dedicated unit of its type.”

To make reporting suspected unlicensed activity easy, the state has a dedicated hotline at 1-877-HALT-ULA and a dedicated email address at haltula@flhealth.gov.

Residents can also check on the licensing status of their own healthcare providers by visiting the department online at http://www.flheathsource.gov.

It is unclear what radio program or station Cordova appeared on to spark the investigation. The station was reportedly a local Spanish-speaking station in the Haines City area, Dalton said.

Booking photo courtesy of the Polk County Jail