Staff at a Near North Side clinic testified Tuesday in federal court that Scott Redman avoided turning over vital documents for his new job as a psychiatrist.
The Hammond Indiana man repeatedly asserted after he was hired at Clarity Clinic in late 2015 that he would eventually bring in hard copies of his identification and medical licenses, according to testimony in federal court. Clinic owner Dr. Pavan Prasad told jurors inside the Dirksen Federal Building courtroom that Redman claimed his University of Connecticut diploma had been misplaced after he sent it out for framing.
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In actuality, Redman lacked any of the proper licensing to practice medicine and never graduated from medical school, federal prosecutors alleged.
Meanwhile, Redman’s practice grew over months from counseling one or two people on a part-time basis to seeing 10 to 12 patients a day, Prasad said. Redman sometimes made mistakes in his work and had an odd personality but appeared to have a knowledge of medicine, Prasad said.
“At the time, I felt like he was doing a decent job,” he said.
Prosecutors described Redman as a con man who used the stolen identity of a real doctor to offer paid therapy and prescribe medication to patients, one as young as 9 years old. He’s charged with wire fraud, stealing the identity and license number of a physician, providing false information on a Drug Enforcement Agency application and distributing a controlled substance
Redman used the name “Dr. Julian Lopez-Garcia” on applications, a social security card, a state medical license and other electronic versions of documents to help secure a position at the Chicago clinic, according to testimony.
The defense contends Redman never intended any harm and had a growing list of patients who liked him, some whom kept coming back for more sessions.
Defense attorney Gerald Collins argued earlier in the week that issues with patient notes and prescriptions had to do with his client’s illegible handwriting.
Redman pleaded guilty to a Cook County judge in October to one count of misdemeanor practicing psychological therapy without a license. State prosecutors said had been seeing patients from across the south suburbs. One patient told the Daily Southtown that Redman got off easy.
Around the same time, Redman initially turned down the job offer from Clarity Clinic because it was a contract position and would not come with insurance or other benefits, Prasad said. Redman claimed he needed medical insurance to help care for a developmentally disabled daughter.
Weeks later, Redman got back in touch and said he felt “ethically compromised” at a different clinic, Prasad said. Redman was hired in December at Clarity Clinic and started seeing patients.
Prasad said Redman again used the alleged disabled daughter, and other stories, as a way to push personal loans totaling more than $20,000 he made to Redman while they waited for approval on paperwork to start receiving payments from insurance providers. Prasad would write a check each time and Redman would come back claiming to urgently need cash instead, he said.
Prasad said he was left “shaking his head” on more than one occasion after reviewing Redman’s work. One time in particular concerned him after Redman made out a prescription well over the recommended dose for a patient known to have addiction issues, Prasad said.
At least five former Clarity Clinic patients are suing the clinic for failing to properly investigate Redman’s credentials.
Redman’s federal trial is expected to continue through the week.
Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.