A Wisconsin man allegedly posing as a doctor without a license was arrested in Appleton, according to police.
Kyle Larsen, 32, was apprehended on Nov. 28 and a medical building where he was practicing out of was searched, police said.
Investigators began probing Larsen’s practice after getting a tip of suspicious services he was offering under a different name.
The Appleton Police Department said it found evidence that Larsen was conducting an unlawful practice, including prescribing and dispensing medications to patients despite not being licensed.
Calli Nonnemacher was one of the patients who was seen by Larsen.
“I’d bring up some sort of pain, or something that I was dealing with and, ‘Oh, I can help you with that,’ or ‘We should try this,’ and it was just like so many things, and I’m like how can he be licensed in everything,” Nonnemacher told WLUK.
“In the beginning, I’m like, Wow! This guy is just my savior or like my angel, but obviously, it wasn’t true.”
She said one red flag was when Larsen mixed up her medications.
“He would take my own medication, and then kind of crush it up, and make his own kind of, I guess, concoction,” Nonnemacher recounted.
She said people should pity the fake doctor, not judge him. “Pray for him, instead of just pointing fingers and bashing him, because he truly is a good person at heart, and I really feel he just needs help,” she said.
Larsen’s practice was called “Medical Psychology.” Its website is still up and describes the business as “an independent clinical practice that offers comprehensive care for a variety of conditions. We have a strong emphasis on treating chronic pain conditions as well as mental health disorders and we treat individuals of all ages.”
“We fundamentally believe that a majority of conditions are best treated using an integrated approach. For many years, physicians were known as ‘sharp shooters,’ focusing mainly on medication as the only solution. However, to address issues like chronic pain and mental health disorders, the ‘sharp shooter’ approach is typically not enough in and of itself,” the website added.
“Although medication may be, and often is, a vital component of treatment, we believe that other treatment modailites [sic] should be explored and utilized when possible. This might include things like exercise, proper nutrition, physical therapy, couseling [sic], or group therapy.”
No doctors are listed by name on the site. Officials noted that Larsen is a registered nurse.
The police said that preliminary charges include theft by fraud, possession with intent to deliver designer drugs, dispense prescribed drugs without a prescription, and practice medicine or surgery without a license. He’s being held at the Outagamie County Jail.
Anyone who had contact with “Dr. Kyle Ellis” while he was posing as a doctor or psychologist was urged to call the Appleton Police Department at 920-832-5500.
