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Woman Pretends To Be A Doctor, Gives Men Physicals

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A 56-year-old allegedly posed as a doctor and performed physical examinations on male truck drivers when she was, in fact, not a doctor, The Smoking Gun reports.

Joann Elizabeth Wingate advertised that she would conduct these examinations for truck drivers who were in need of “updated physicals as to maintain their commercial driver’s license.”

She has since been arrested and charged with felony forgery, identity theft and fraud in Cumberland County, Pa.

Police reported that Wingate charged these men $65 for her services and even had a medical certificate that displayed correlating information with the authentic license of Dr. Barbara Wingate, a psychiatrist in Philadelphia.

One of Wingate’s “patients,” Todd Wakefield of California, began to question her legitimacy when California officials had problems with Wingate’s medical paperwork, according to The Smoking Gun. Wakefield told police that Wingate picked him up in her car and drove him to her “office,” which was inside of her home. Wakefield admitted that Wingate did “everything that a doctor would normally do during a physical,” even requiring a urine sample.

After further investigation, it seems that in 2014 Wingate had given up to 16 other men physical exams while pretending to be a licensed medical doctor.

Wingate has previously held two different chiropractic licenses; one of which is no longer active, while the other was suspended in 2013 due to “advertising violations.”

In addition to her felony charges, Wingate was also charged for minor drug possession — marijuana and narcotics paraphernalia.

“Dr. Wingate’s” preliminary hearing will occur on July 16.

Jane Bartlett Pappas