Police in Oregon are looking for more patients of a man they say practiced medicine without a license, including minor surgery and procedures on a living room couch.
Scott Hanson, 22, of Crooked River Ranch, was arrested Tuesday and charged with six counts of identity theft, second-degree assault, forgery, tampering with drug records and multiple counts of theft after one of his patients, a friend, realized he was not a doctor, as he had told her and his other patients.
He was also charged with six counts of recklessly endangering another person, third-degree sexual abuse, sexual harassment and various charges relating to possession of a controlled substance.
Redmond Police Capt. Brian McNaughton told ABCNews.com that police know of three patients but "absolutely" believe there are more.
"Who knows how sterile any of the instruments were," he said, noting that these people were at risk of infections, or worse. "If you were treated by this individual, seek professional advice as soon as possible."
"He was doing anything from treating people for infections to injury to minor surgery," he said.
An exam and prescription medication, which was dispensed on the spot, McNaughton said, would cost "patients" around $50. The surgical procedure -- there was only one police are aware of -- involved "maybe cutting off some skin and stitching things up," McNaughton said.
The charges of sexual abuse and harassment stemmed from one of his exams, McNaughton said, declining to further detail what led police to those charges.
But Hanson's mother, Renee Hanson, told ABCNews.com that police and the media have blown this up into something it's not.
"This is absolutely horrible, what the news has done," she said. "I'm so embarrassed. He's not performing multiple surgeries."
Renee Hanson said her son had planned to become a doctor, but that she didn't have the money to send him to medical school. Those plans, she said, are obviously over now.
McNaughton said Hanson told his patients -- both male and female -- that he was a resident physician at Mountain View Hospital in Madras, about 25 miles away from Redmond.
"One of the victims knew him for years, hadn't seen him for years," McNaughton said. "Came back and said, 'I went to medical school and became a doctor.'"
But Mountain View Hospital spokeswoman Christine Smith told ABCNews.com that the hospital didn't even know who Hanson was until the media started calling for comment.
"The only thing I know is he's never been employed by the hospital nor has he been part of our medical staff," she said.
Renee Hanson's public records list her as being a registered nurse at Mountain View, but Smith said she could not comment on whether Renee Hanson has ever been on staff there.
McNaughton said police understand that Renee Hanson works at an area hospital, but have received conflicting reports about which one.
She, however, denied to ABCNews.com having anything to do with her son's alleged crimes. "I'm having to leave town because of it," she said.
McNaughton said Hanson told police the medications he gave to patients included morphine. Police are now investigating where he got the drugs and what they actually are. "Some of the stuff we seized had the labels changed," he said.
A search warrant of Hanson's house, where he was arrested, also turned up various medical supplies and other evidence.
Hanson is now being held at the Deschutes County Jail on $50,000 bail.
April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008