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News Release — August 16, 2002
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
August 16, 2002
Medical Board of California Arrests
Unlicensed Downey Practitioner
SACRAMENTO-Investigators for the Medical Board of California's Operation Safe Medicine served a felony warrant on Eva C. Melendez, on August 13, 2002, for at least 20 violations of the Business and Professions Code, the Health and Safety Code and the Penal Code. Board investigators arrested her at her residence in Downey and she was taken to the Downey Police Department. On August 9, a criminal complaint was filed by the Medical Board with the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, the District Attorney then filed an arrest warrant with the Monrovia Court, and an arrest warrant was issued the same day. She was being held on a $275,000 bail, following her arrest.
Melendez faces felony charges for practicing or attempting to practice medicine without a license and there being a risk of great bodily harm or death (Business and Professions Code section 2053, 7 counts); unlawful dispensing of dangerous drugs or devices without a prescription (Health and Safety Code section 11352.1(b), 2 counts); possession of hypodermic needles/syringes (Business and Professions Code section 4140, 2 counts); practicing cosmetology without a license (Business and Professions Code section 7317, 2 counts); perjury (Penal Code section 118, 4 counts); and grand theft (Penal Code section 487, 3 counts).
Information provided by the United States Probation Department reported that Melendez previously had been arrested in Arizona by the FBI and convicted of three felonies for charges of bank fraud, wire fraud, and aiding and abetting.
The Medical Board has requested Melendez be required to pay restitution totaling $1,750 to two former patients and pay cost recovery as part of the adjudication or settlement process.
Operation Safe Medicine is a special unit of the Medical Board composed of trained investigators who seek to protect a significant portion of the population by reducing access to individuals who are incompetent and unlicensed to provide medical care.
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The Medical Board of California is the state agency responsible for licensing and regulating physicians in this state.
www.medbd.ca.gov
Information about specific physicians: (916) 263-2382
Complaint line: (800) 633-2322
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