AUSTELL, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Lexington County South Carolina Sheriff's Department detectives obtained an arrest warrant for a 48-year-old Austell, GA, man on charges that the man unlawfully practiced medicine between Feb. 15 and Aug. 22 at five facilities that provide medical care for senior citizens in Lexington and Richland counties.
Investigators say the Austell man worked at several senior medical centers near Columbia, SC.
Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said members of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force arrested Ernest Osei Addo, 48, at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 24 at Addo's home at 1729 Brandemere Dr., Austell, GA.
Sheriff's department detectives drove to Marietta on Friday night in order to interview Addo and eventually return Addo to South Carolina.
Neighbor Reginald Freeman told CBS Atlanta News he knew the man by a different name.
"I just know him as Dr. Uboo," said Freman. "From the guy I know, he doesn't seem like that type of guy. So I'm very surprised to hear that."
Freeman said his neighbor traveled a lot, but was told he worked for the group Doctors Without Boarders.
The company he allegedly defrauded in South Carolina says he appeared to have all the necessary credentials.
"As far as I knew, he's a nice guy. I haven't seen him actually practice medicine but everything I've heard, he was a doctor," said Freeman.
There's no word on when he'll be extradited.
An arrest warrant alleges that Addo unlawfully practiced medicine between Feb. 15 and Aug. 22 at five facilities operated by Agape Senior while Addo was employed as a physician with Agape Primary Care, Metts said.
Addo provided medical services to as many as 500 patients at the five facilities: Agape Senior West Columbia, 2705 Leaphart Rd., West Columbia; Agape Senior Kathwood, 4520 Trenholm Rd., Columbia; Agape Senior Harbison, 990 Columbia Ave., Irmo; Agape Senior Lexington, 5422 Augusta Rd., Lexington; and Agape Rehab, 300 Agape Dr., West Columbia.
Addo presented copies of documents to Agape Senior, claiming to be an Orangeburg man who is licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina, Metts said. After he presented the documents, Agape Senior hired Addo, who allegedly began unlawfully practicing medicine at Agape Senior facilities. Addo quit his employment with Agape Senior on Wednesday, Aug. 22.
Agape Senior is cooperating fully with sheriff's department detectives as they conduct an ongoing investigation of Addo, Metts said. Addo is a personal friend of the Orangeburg man whose documents Addo presented to Agape Senior.
The sheriff's department began investigating Addo on Wednesday after the Orangeburg man reported that he was the victim of identity theft and identified Addo as the man who assumed his identity, unlawfully practicing medicine in the man's name and unlawfully obtaining and using credit cards that were issued in the man's name, Metts said.
Detectives might file additional charges against Addo in connection with unlawfully prescribing medication and unlawfully receiving wages from Agape Senior, Metts said.
Addo is jailed at the Cobb County Detention Center without bond while awaiting extradition to Lexington County.
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