Re: More ICHT Fallout: Shantha INDICTED (ping woodtick)
- From: "Mockingbird" <mockingbirdbrain@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 24 Dec 2005 16:13:55 -0800
Treated patients support Stockbridge doctor | ajc.com
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/clayton/1205/22metdoctorside.html
Treated patients support Stockbridge doctor
By KATHY JEFCOATS , BILL TORPY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/22/05
Federal prosecutors say a Stockbridge doctor injected patients with a
chemical commonly used in pesticides or weedkillers and gave desperate
people false hope.
But patients like Nancy Hoffman say the hope Dr. Totada R.
Shanthaveerappa instilled was real. And she wanted the world to know
it. On Wednesday, the 65-year-old Stockbridge woman, dressed in a red
and white pantsuit, delivered a tray of Christmas cookies to the man
she says saved her life.
Johnny Crawford / AJC
(ENLARGE)
Nancy Hoffman brought Christmas cookies Wednesday to Dr. Totada
Shanthaveerappa, whom she says saved her life.
(ENLARGE)
Dr. Totada R. Shanthaveerappa
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"This is ridiculous," she said, scowling at reporters outside his
office.
Shanthaveerappa, 70, of Stone Mountain faces an 87-count federal
indictment for health care fraud and money laundering involving almost
$5 million. He is also known as T.R. Shantha and operates Integrated
Medical Specialists, a medical clinic in Stockbridge. Federal
prosecutors said he might turn himself in today.
Shanthaveerappa, a native of India licensed in Georgia since 1972, is
still licensed to practice medicine, but the Composite State Board of
Medical Examiners has scheduled an emergency conference call Friday
morning.
Dr. Jim McNatt, the board's medical director, could not say if the
meeting dealt with Shanthaveerappa. The board can "issue summary
suspensions if a physician is demonstrated a threat to public health
and safety," McNatt said.
Shanthaveerappa, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, has
had no disciplinary infractions with the board and touts himself - on
Web sites like Wehealcancer.org and ims-islandofhope.com - as an
alternative healer.
In a letter to a medical newsletter, Shanthaveerappa wrote that he
treated a lady dying with septic shock with peritoneal hyperthermia.
"The procedure has never been attempted before anywhere in the world,"
he wrote. "Sarcasm and indignation was expressed by my colleagues about
how I treated this woman." He wrote that he is scorned by some doctors
for avoiding "the status quo."
What Shanthaveerappa offers, his patients say, is hope after all other
accepted cancer treatments had been exhausted.
Yaro Garcia and her mother, Isabell Santos, 53, came to the Stockbridge
clinic from Naples, Fla., to get help for Santos' brain and breast
cancer.
"Her oncologist group told us to give up, take her home and make her
comfortable," Garcia said Wednesday after leaving the clinic. "But Dr.
Shantha has shown us that there is no such thing as false hope. He
promised to help my mom, to give her a longer life and nothing else."
The women are staying in a house Shanthaveerappa provides for
out-of-town patients, Garcia said, while Santos gets Ukrain treatment.
Prosecutors say Ukrain is a substance created in Austria not approved
for U.S. use.
Oncologists say patients are being given false hope if unorthodox
therapies haven't been proven to work.
"I can understand somebody who just cannot accept the fact that
medicine just doesn't have anything left to offer," said Dr. Otis
Brawley, an Emory University oncologist and director of the Cancer
Center of Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital. "But I'm very
concerned that patients understand what they're getting involved in.
Giving a patient medicine with a promised benefit if it's never been
tested is giving false hope."
Shanthaveerappa continued seeing patients Wednesday. That may change
when he makes his first appearance before a federal magistrate, which
will happen once he surrenders. U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said he
expects the issue of the doctor's business to arise when bond is
decided.
Nahmias would only say the investigation started with "tips from
interested persons."
Federal prosecutors say Shanthaveerappa treated cancer patients with
dinitrophenol, or DNP, a weedkiller and insecticide chemical; Ukrain;
and hyperbaric oxygen therapy intended to treat acute mountain sickness
and the bends and deep wound healing.
The doctor's Web site said patients could be charged a maximum of
$60,000 for a six-week course of treatment.
The indictment alleges that Shanthaveerappa and medical assistant Dan
U. Bartoli, 63, of McDonough defrauded health care benefit programs by
falsely claiming to have performed insurance-eligible treatments by
administering approved drugs. The men also allegedly used DNP, which is
banned for human use in the United States.
According to Shanthaveerappa's Web site, he has six children, two of
whom are doctors. He has three U.S patents. One is listed as "A method
and apparatus for heating the interior surfaces of a hollow organ or
orifice of the human body for the treatment of viral infections,
microbial infections, and cancers, the apparatus including an insertion
body having a semi-rigid support tube and an inflatable balloon."
In June, he received the distinguished physician award from the
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin at the group's
convention in Houston.
Hoffman and Denise Trinklein, who both suffer from scleroderma, a
degenerative disease that affects the esophagus, agree that
Shanthaveerappa is a humanitarian.
Hoffman said other doctors wanted to try traditional treatments -
like steroids - but she wouldn't hear of it. "It's time people stand
up to the pharmaceutical companies that are killing us," she said.
"He was doing good for mankind, more than most doctors," said
Trinklein, 55, of Venice, Fla., in a telephone interview.
Trinklein said she was "desperate but informed" when she underwent a
three-week intravenous chemotherapy treatment four years ago.
"People should have a choice to gamble. ... In my book of angels, he's
one of them."
Staff writer Patricia Guthrie contributed to this article.
United Press International - NewsTrack - Cancer doctor faces indictment
http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20051221-021610-4127r
Cancer doctor faces indictment
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- A Georgia cancer specialist, accused
of injecting his patients with a weed killer, faces an 87-count federal
indictment.
The charges against T.R. Shantha, 70, of Stockbridge, who was accused
of charging his patients as much as $50,000 a session, include money
laundering, healthcare and insurance fraud allegations, reports the
Henry Daily Herald.
U.S. Attorney David Nahmias was quoted as saying Shantha faces charges
he injected cancer patients with a commercial grade week killer and an
Austrian-made treatment that has not been approved for use in the
United States, describing the treatment as "safe and effective,
nontoxic, scientifically based alternative methods," the report said.
Shantha and his medical assistant Dan Bartoli have also been indicted
on healthcare and insurance fraud. Shantha was accused of using the
money from his practice to buy three homes, a car and his own clinic.
© Copyright 2005 United Press International, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
Want to email or reprint this story? Click here for options.
WJACTV.com - Health - Ga. Doctor Charged With Treating Cancer Patients
With Weed Killer
http://www.wjactv.com/health/5596867/detail.html
Ga. Doctor Charged With Treating Cancer Patients With Weed Killer
POSTED: 10:46 am EST December 21, 2005
UPDATED: 12:44 pm EST December 21, 2005
ATLANTA -- Federal prosecutors say a Georgia doctor used weed killer
and insecticide to treat patients who had cancer and other
life-threatening diseases.
Dr. Totada Shanthaveerappa and his medical assistant, Dan Bartoli, face
87 counts, including health care fraud and distributing unapproved and
misbranded drugs.
According to prosecutors, the 70-year-old Shanthaveerappa -- also known
as Dr. T.R. Shantha -- owns and operates Integrated Medical Specialists
and Integrated Chemotherapy Specialists in Stockbridge, Ga.
On a Web site, he advertises that the clinic provides "safe and
effective, nontoxic, scientifically based alternative methods that can
cure or control most cancer and other chronic disease."
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
11Alive.com: Atlanta News - Shantha's Clinic Still in Business
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=73614
Shantha's Clinic Still in Business
Print E-mail Make Us Home
Jon Shirek reports
T.R. Shantha
Reported By: Jon Shirek
Web Editor: Michael King
Last Modified: 12/21/2005 11:29:49 PM
The Stockbridge doctor accused by a federal grand jury of using weed
killer and insecticide to treat his patients was still in business on
Wednesday.
Federal agents decided not to go to Dr. T. R. Shantha's clinic to
shut it down or arrest him. Instead, they decided to let him surrender,
which they say they expect him to do within the week, possible as early
as Thursday or Friday.
Throughout the day, patients, employees and others continued to flow
into Shantha's clinic, Integrated Medical Specialists, where he
offers alternative treatments for life-threatening diseases such as
cancer.
Federal prosecutors say his treatments include having patients take
weed killer and pesticide.
"I've never gotten any weed killers, that's for sure," said
Connie Mahoney, a patient of Shantha.
Mahoney says that what Shantha gave her was a cure for her ovarian
cancer, and calls herself an "absolute fan" of Shantha.
Shantha is not commenting on the federal charges against him and his
assistant. The charges against them include distributing unapproved
drugs, health care fraud and money laundering.
Breast cancer patient Karen Kasunic says she doesn't know if he's
guilty of innocent. All she says she knows is that before going to
Shantha, conventional doctors told her that her case was incurable.
After four weeks under his care, she says, he had reduced the cancers
and tumors in her system.
A niece of one of Shantha's patients calls him a "quack" in an
e-mail to 11Alive News, and writes that his treatments failed to heal
her uncle, now gravely ill from cancer.
Shantha has been practicing medicine in Georgia since 1972, and, on the
state medical board's website, there is no record of any actions
against him.
11Alive.com: Atlanta News - No Word from Wanted Dr., Asst.
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=73649
No Word from Wanted Dr., Asst.
Reported By: Elaine Reyes
Web Editor: Sean Rowe
Last Modified: 12/22/2005 12:06:42 PM
There's been no word from a Stockbridge, Ga., doctor and assistant
who are facing an 87-count federal indictment for health fraud and
money laundering.
U.S. Attorney David Nahmia announced the indictment - which charges
Dr. Shantha and Bartoli with healthcare fraud - at a news conference
Tuesday afternoon. Only Shantha is wanted for money laundering offenses
that total an estimated $15 million, Nahmia said.
At the IMS Web site, Dr. Shantha offers cancer treatments called "low
dose chemo." But, investigators claim the doctor actually treats
patients with weed killer, insecticides and foreign drugs that are not
approved for use in the United States.
"You had people with severe diseases like cancer, who were going to
the clinic for treatment and getting what is alleged to be treatment
that actually could harm them and certainly was not approved by the
[Federal Drug Administration] or other authorities," Nahmia said.
So far, no charges have been brought regarding the medical use of
several non-FDA approved drugs.
According to the Web site, IMS offers "safe and effective, non-toxic,
scientifically based alternative methods that can cure, control most
cancer and other chronic disease," according to a company profile
posted at its Web site.
The clinic's Web site goes into detail about treatments and
facilities and features page after page of testimonials from alleged
patients treated at the Stockbridge clinic.
The U.S. Attorney, however, painted a dramatically different picture of
what went on at the clinic.
Shantha claimed to be offering cancer treatments with what his Web site
called "low dose chemo." But, investigators said the doctor
actually treated patients with weed killer, insecticides and foreign
drugs not yet approved for use in the United States.
Investigators said that Shantha and Bartoli also defrauded a number of
health insurance companies by submitting "false and misleading"
claims for payments of as much as $50,000 to disguise the illegal
treatments.
Crosby said, "In other words, he mislabeled in making claims for
insurance reimbursement what treatment he was actually providing."
The doctor and his assistant are expected to turn themselves in at the
federal courthouse in downtown Atlanta.
henryherald.com
http://www.henryherald.com/articles/2005/12/22/news/news1.txt
Thursday, December 22, 2005
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Office of indicted doctor remains open
By Michael Davis
Federal authorities are likely to try to limit the medical practices of
a Stockbridge doctor indicted Tuesday on charges of money laundering,
healthcare and insurance fraud when a federal magistrate considers
bond.
Stone Mountain resident Dr. Totada R. Shanthaveerappa, also known as
T.R. Shantha, was indicted by a federal grand jury on 87 counts
stemming from a scheme in which authorities said he injected cancer
patients with weed killer and other unapproved drugs and billed
healthcare providers for legitimate treatments. He also faces money
laundering charges.
His medical assistant, McDonough resident Dan U. Bartoli, also faces
healthcare and insurance fraud charges.
A message left at Shantha's Integrated Medical Specialist office with
an assistant was not returned Wednesday and signs posted on the front
door read "Private Property: Patient and families only."
A message left at Bartoli's home Wednesday also was not returned.
Some of Shantha's patients told the media Wednesday they supported the
doctor's methods and benefited from his treatments.
But McDonough resident Mike Marinello said he was not surprised by the
indictment. He said he went to Shantha two years ago seeking a
treatment for Lyme disease.
Marinello, 39, said he took two treatments from Shantha before the
doctor wanted to treat him using a hyperbaric oxygen treatment and
wanted $5,500 up front.
"We found another doctor," Marinello said.
He understands why some patients will turn to alternative medicines
like those Shantha promoted.
"People will get into a position to where they'll do anything," he
said. "I've known people who would give everything they had just to
feel good for a couple of weeks."
Shantha had not turned himself in Wednesday but was expected to soon.
The federal indictment alleges Shantha injected cancer patients with
Dinitophenol, a commercial-grade weed killer and insecticide, as well
as Ukrain, an Austrian-made drug not approved for use in the U.S.
One Web site for Integrated Medical Specialist, www.iptmd.com, promotes
the use of hyperbaric treatment for Lyme disease and cancer with the
slogan "Cancer hates oxygen."
The federal grand jury's indictment says the therapy is only approved
to treat a limited number of conditions, such as acute mountain
sickness, the bends and in deep wound healing.
Another Web site for the practice, www.imsmd.com, says "safe,
effective, nontoxic, scientifically based alternative and
traditional" cancer treatments are available at the clinic.
Mockingbird wrote:
> Stockbridge physician accused of health fraud | ajc.com
> http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/1205/21methenry.html
>
>
>
> ajc.com > Metro > Clayton/Henry
> Stockbridge physician accused of health fraud
> Insecticides used to treat patients, charges say
>
> By KATHY JEFCOATS
> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
> Published on: 12/21/05
> Federal prosecutors say a Stockbridge doctor whose Web site offers
> alternative cancer treatments for $25,000 to $45,000 per patient was
> injecting patients with commercial-grade weedkiller and insecticide.
>
> Dr. Totada R. Shanthaveerappa, 70, of Stone Mountain faces an 87-count
> federal indictment returned Tuesday for health care fraud and money
> laundering involving almost $5 million.
>
> Shanthaveerappa, also known as T.R. Shantha, owns and operates
> Integrated Medical Specialists, a Stockbridge medical clinic. His
> medical assistant, Dan U. Bartoli, 63, of McDonough, also was indicted.
>
> Shantha and Bartoli did not return telephone calls Tuesday night to
> their office and homes.
>
> Federal law protects patients' information so it is not known how many
> Shantha treated or if any suffered harm because of the treatments,
> federal officials said. The charges allege only financial wrongdoing
> and not that Shantha physically harmed patients.
>
> Shantha's Web site at www .iptmd.com features eight testimonials from
> alleged patients praising Shantha's treatments for breast cancer,
> tumor, Lyme disease and scleroderma.
>
> Federal prosecutors say Shantha treated cancer patients with
> dinitrophenol or DNP, a commercial-grade weed killer and insecticide;
> Ukrain, a substance made in Austria and not approved for U.S. use; and
> hyperbaric oxygen therapy intended to treat acute mountain sickness,
> the bends and deep wound healing.
>
> The doctor's Web site said patients could be charged a maximum of
> $60,000 for a six-week course of treatment.
>
> U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias announced the indictment Tuesday,
> alleging Shantha's medical proclamations are false.
>
> "A doctor's use of unapproved and misbranded drugs poses a grave threat
> to patients' health," Nahmias said. "Health care fraud raises the price
> of health care for all citizens. The allegations in his indictment are
> serious and will be prosecuted vigorously."
>
> According to the indictment, Shantha and Bartoli defrauded health care
> benefit programs by falsely claiming to have performed
> insurance-eligible treatments and administered approved drugs. The men
> also allegedly used DNP in a way unapproved by the U.S. Food and Drug
> Administration.
>
> The indictment alleges Shantha laundered more than $4.78 million
> through numerous bank accounts, three homes and a car.
>
> The indictment says Shantha earned his medical degree at the R.G. Kar
> Medical College at the University of Calcutta in India in 1958 and a
> doctorate in anatomy and basic medical services at Emory University
> School of Medicine in Atlanta in 1962. He has reportedly been licensed
> to practice medicine in Georgia since 1972.
>
>
> Find this article at:
> http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/1205/21methenry.html
.
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