SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CA - On Wednesday, May 7th, a woman pleaded guilty to multiple crimes related to her misuse of doctor credentials that she used to create hundreds of false medical records for illegal immigrants seeking permanent residency in the United States.
According to the Pacific Coast Business Times, 54-year-old Chantelle Lavergne Woods pleaded guilty to one count of presentation of false immigration document or application and one count of possession with intent to distribute phendimetrazine, an appetite suppressant.
Woods is currently free after posting a $10,000 bond. Woods, a former resident of Nipomo, formerly operated and managed a clinic in Arroyo Grande that at times was known as "Medical Weight Loss and Immigration Services." Her plea agreement states that beginning in 2021, Woods knowingly misused the identities of three physicians to create hundreds of fraudulent documents.
The documents were related to medical examinations of individuals seeking to register for a lawful permanent resident (LPR) card, commonly known as a "green card" or otherwise adjust their immigration status.
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, a submission of a medical examination and vaccination record is required to assess several physical and mental health factors to determine if an applicant is inadmissible to the United States on health-related grounds.
Federal law further requires licensed physicians to perform these examinations and then sign a form attesting to the fact that they truly and accurately completed the form based on the examination and the information provided by the applicant.
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office said that Woods knowingly completed at least 328 such forms on which she falsely included the signature of medical doctors, thereby representing that the individual had been medically examined by a doctor, when in fact they had not. There were times when a doctor was not present at the clinic and Woods would act without physician authorization, and the clinic did not provide legitimate medical services.
Woods further admitted that from February 2021 to June 2022, she used the Drug Enforcement Administration registration number of a deceased physician to order more than 150,000 tablets of controlled substances, including testosterone, codeine, alprazolam (AKA Xanax), dimethylpropane, and phentermine.
In July 2022, while at the clinic, Woods knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute phendimetrazine, a weight lost drug as well as a loaded firearm.
United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin scheduled a July 31st sentencing hearing. Woods is facing a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count.
According to the Pacific Coast Business Times, 54-year-old Chantelle Lavergne Woods pleaded guilty to one count of presentation of false immigration document or application and one count of possession with intent to distribute phendimetrazine, an appetite suppressant.
Woods is currently free after posting a $10,000 bond. Woods, a former resident of Nipomo, formerly operated and managed a clinic in Arroyo Grande that at times was known as "Medical Weight Loss and Immigration Services." Her plea agreement states that beginning in 2021, Woods knowingly misused the identities of three physicians to create hundreds of fraudulent documents.
The documents were related to medical examinations of individuals seeking to register for a lawful permanent resident (LPR) card, commonly known as a "green card" or otherwise adjust their immigration status.
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, a submission of a medical examination and vaccination record is required to assess several physical and mental health factors to determine if an applicant is inadmissible to the United States on health-related grounds.
Federal law further requires licensed physicians to perform these examinations and then sign a form attesting to the fact that they truly and accurately completed the form based on the examination and the information provided by the applicant.
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office said that Woods knowingly completed at least 328 such forms on which she falsely included the signature of medical doctors, thereby representing that the individual had been medically examined by a doctor, when in fact they had not. There were times when a doctor was not present at the clinic and Woods would act without physician authorization, and the clinic did not provide legitimate medical services.
Woods further admitted that from February 2021 to June 2022, she used the Drug Enforcement Administration registration number of a deceased physician to order more than 150,000 tablets of controlled substances, including testosterone, codeine, alprazolam (AKA Xanax), dimethylpropane, and phentermine.
In July 2022, while at the clinic, Woods knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute phendimetrazine, a weight lost drug as well as a loaded firearm.
United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin scheduled a July 31st sentencing hearing. Woods is facing a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments
2025-05-10T20:30-0400 | Comment by: Larry
Looks like people can't wait to be first in line to go to Alkatraz. Fill it up !!!