A New Jersey physician is facing criminal charges after police discovered he had been practicing medicine without a valid license for at least 13 years, according to the New Jersey Herald.
Paramjit Singh, MD, had his New Jersey medical license suspended in 2004 after he was convicted of felony drug charges in Ohio one year earlier, according to the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners. His medical license was also suspended in Ohio and West Virginia following his conviction, the report states.
The board claimed Dr. Singh previously allowed his medical license to lapse in 1995, according to the report.
Federal, state and local investigators began looking into Dr. Singh's practices after a patient expressed concern to police. Officials concluded despite his license suspension in 2004, Dr. Singh continued to practice medicine at Hackettstown, N.J-based Medical Care Associates, Family Practice/Urgent Care's three New Jersey locations for an indeterminate length of time.
"At this time, we are unable to say how long [Dr. Singh] was actively practicing without a valid license," Warren County Prosecutor Richard Burke said Tuesday. "The matter was brought to our attention by a patient who expressed some concerns. Once those concerns were validated, we felt that it was important to act as quickly as possible to eliminate any threat to public safety."
Police arrested and charged Dr. Singh with one count of practicing medicine without a valid license. The founder of Medical Care Associates was also arrested and charged with one count of aiding or abetting another person in practicing medicine without a valid license, according to the report. If convicted, both individuals face a maximum prison sentence of five years and/or a fine of up to $75,000.
Mr. Burke said police plan to investigate the entire organization to "see if there is anything else that needs to be addressed moving forward," the report states.