A Central Coast woman has admitted to fraudulent use of doctors' credentials to create fake medical documents for immigration applicants, as well as the distribution of controlled substances. Chantelle Lavergne Woods, a 54-year-old Nipomo resident, entered her plea on counts of presenting false immigration documents or applications and possession with intent to distribute phendimetrazine, a weight-loss drug. Woods has been released on a $10,000 bond.
According to a Justice Department press release, Woods operated a clinic called "Medical Weight Loss and Immigration Services." From February 2021, she began misusing the identities of three physicians, falsely signing off on at least 328 medical examination forms required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These forms are a critical part of the health assessment process for those seeking to become lawful permanent residents, yet under Woods's hand, fraudulent signatures suggested medical examinations took place when, in fact, they did not.
Further digging into Woods's operation revealed even more unsettling facts. At times, there were no physicians on-site at her clinic, Woods acted without any physician authorization, and the clinic itself was a facade for illegitimate services. In addition to creating bogus medical documents for immigration applicants, she was running a prescription drug scam using the registration number of a deceased physician to order over 150,000 tablets of controlled substances, including testosterone, codeine, and alprazolam.
In July 2022, authorities found Woods in possession of phendimetrazine with the intent to distribute, alongside a loaded firearm at her clinic. The U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin has set the sentencing for Woods on July 31, where she could face up to 10 years in federal prison for each count. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration's Ventura Resident Office Tactical Diversion Squad and USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security. Jeremy K. Beecher of the Transnational Organized Crime Section is leading the prosecution efforts for this case.
