'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The prominent surgeon, Mark Weinberger, shocked the nation as he went on the run after multiple bad surgeries and lawsuits filed against him in 2004. Weinberger was also caught in the middle of healthcare fraudulence as he wrongfully charged insurance companies.
While he was charged with his crimes, Mark fled while he was on vacation with his wife to the Greek Islands and was on the run till he was caught in 2009. Mark pled guilty to his charges in 2012 and served five years. He is a free man living in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode titled A Wanted Man showcases the conviction of Mark Weinberger as it airs on Oxygen on July 31, 2024, at 8 p.m. EST. The official synopsis reads,
Trending
"The question of a surgeon's whereabouts remains unanswered for five years after he disappears while on vacation in the Greek Islands with his wife, leaving behind financial ruin and mounting malpractice suits from patients in the U.S."
Why was Mark Weinberger arrested?
Episode 46 of Season 29 of Dateline showcases the story of how a medical professional turned into a convicted criminal over time. Mark Weinberger, a sinus surgeon and ENT specialist, ran the Weinberger Sinus Clinic in Merriville, Indiana.
Known as the "Nose Doctor," he was an Ivy League graduate with a large and growing clientele. However, it was later discovered that he was diagnosing and treating sinus issues incorrectly.
Mark's two patients, Phyllis Barnes and Kayla Thomas, were reportedly not diagnosed of life-threatening conditions. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Mark failed to diagnose Kayla (then 9) and Phyllis (then 50) with throat cancer.
While Phyllis Barnes of Valparaiso passed away due to advanced throat cancer in 2004, Kayla was operated on for a sinus surgery that further complicated a tumor in her pituitary gland. He was further accused of committing insurance fraud by overbilling the companies, per the Chicago Tribune.
Where is Mark Weinberger now?
Mark Weinberger was found to have been living a comfortable life in West Palm Beach, as reported by NBC Chicago in 2021. Weinberger settled down in Florida with a new wife and his two children. He had served only five years behind bars in federal prison before he was released early.
Ever since his release, Weinberger started creating content on cryptocurrency on YouTube under the alias of Mark W. NBC News further probed into the situation to find that he had been working as a yoga doctor as well wherein he advertised his services online.
The NBC Chicago report shared Weinberger's former patient share,
"I think it’s awful. I think he’s still showing and exhibiting the same level of awfulness that he was earlier, which leads me to believe he hasn’t learned anything."
As soon as Mark became a target internationally and the manhunt for him ensued, his medical license was terminated. He was charged with 22 counts of health fraud in northwest Indiana to which he pleaded guilty after he was arrested in 2009. He was sentenced to seven years including time served and was released early in 2014.
Catch all the details on the new episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered as it airs on Oxygen on Wednesday.
