Houston County judge gives man 202-year sentence for practicing medicine without license

A Florida man was sentenced to serve 202 years in prison by a Houston County judge after he was convicted of falsely representing himself as a doctor in multiple states across the country.

Jimmy Lee Taylor, 71 of Delray Beach, Florida was convicted of 44 counts of elder abuse and 23 counts of practicing medicine without a license in the Houston County Superior Court on Dec. 15.

The investigation into Taylor began in 2018 after one of his victims, Houston County resident Annette Johnson, reached out to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. The FDA and Effingham County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the investigation.

Investigators found that Taylor, who was living in Effingham County at the time, falsely identified himself as a doctor to Johnson.

He met with her in her home every two weeks and administered what he called “stem cell therapy” in exchange for cash payment.

The American Medical Association confirmed that Taylor was not licensed to practice medicine.

Investigators found that Taylor was engaging in similar practices with “numerous” other victims in California, Illinois, Alabama and Florida.

When a search warrant was executed at Taylor’s residence, investigators found drugs and medical supplies suspected to come from Mexico.

Taylor is currently being held in the Houston County jail and will be transferred to the Georgia Department of Corrections to serve his sentence.

This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 5:00 AM.