I'll Put The Doctor in Jail

by Dr. Cris Enriquez

This is my story that has been published in many papers all over the world. In the 1980’s while I was at the height of my medical success in the United States, FBI and secret service agents invaded my two medical offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with their leader declaring, “I will put this doctor in jail.” He uttered these words to no one in particular but to the hearing of my medical staff to instill fear in their minds to convince them to be witnesses against me for accusations and investigations that were later to be found unfounded and baseless.

I was not in the office that early Wednesday morning as I was attending a medical meeting in the hospital. When I got to my main office I found it closed with a sign on the door that we were closed for the day. Naturally, I was enraged that anyone in my office would do this but as soon as I entered the clinic, I saw all these people with guns ransacking all my medical and financial records. I was stunned.

From that St. Patrick’s Day, I lost my medical practice and reputation, and friends in and out of the medical community shunned me like a plague. No one came to my aid or even invited me for lunch, When I called them they made sure they cut short our conversation and abruptly would say, “I have to go and see a patient now,” a lame excuse to get away from me. Even while I was incarcerated in prison I got scant answers to the letters I sent to my friends. I don’t, however, hold this against them. I probably would do the same if I were them as I would not know what to say. It would be awkward to say the least.

To make a very long and insidious story short, after more than two years of investigation to my alleged Medicare fraud sins, it was concluded that I did not do anything of the sort. I was relieved to learn that, however, my criminal lawyer was very unhappy proclaiming, “they have spent countless hours and millions of dollars on this investigation and they will not get you off that easy. They will find something to justify their costs.”

Sure enough, as if a self-fulfilling prophecy, not long after that, I was indicted for seventeen counts of felony - mail fraud and conspiracy. If found guilty in all of them, I would be jailed for 85 years. This sent shivers to my spine to know that agents of the government could destroy anyone if they wanted to, just to look good, and maybe get promoted or get money in return, which one of them eventually did.

I was confused and afraid. The charges were unclear and mind-boggling. My defense lawyer tried his best but his explanation made it more confusing. After we went over all the sixteen charges of mail fraud, we could not find anything that they could find me guilty. I really did not do any of those things that they were charging me.

As far as conspiracy, that’s another story! The conspiracy accusation was invented by the government to get the mob and Mafia members convicted when they are charged with murder or money laundering because there is no defense against it. A loophole can get them off a charge of homicide or murder or other nefarious activity but not conspiracy. The charge in itself is a condemnation of guilt sans trial or indictment. Anyone charged with conspiracy will be found guilty notwithstanding the truth.

It was also added to the charges against me so I would plead guilty to their offer of one count of mail fraud. I refused the offer after I was told that the conspiracy was because Dr. Cris Enriquez, the owner of the clinic, conspired with Dr. Cris Enriquez, the doctor of the clinic. I said that was preposterous because the names were the same and belonged to the same person. They said those two names, even though they are one person, have two distinct legal personalities.

After so many stressful years, confusion, fear and much anxiety and uncertainty and constant severe family disruption, I pled guilty to one count of conspiracy, which was indefensible anyway and one count of mail fraud. I apparently defrauded the government of nine dollars. Yes, $9. And since I charged Medicare by mail, thus, mail fraud of $9.

The government tried to charge me with hundred of thousands of Medicare fraud but it was $9 that came apparent after the investigation. We could even have defended that $9 because it was more of technicality than actual fraud.

My penalty – 18 months in prison, 5 years of probation and 1000 hours of community service. No restitution, not even the $9. I could have paid the $9.00!

I was so disillusioned with Medicine that I wrote to the Florida Medical Board that I would not practice again. I was not coerced to send it. I sent it voluntarily. But I changed my mind after I was released from prison after serving only 7 months of my 18 months sentence, when the very government that accused and indicted me and eventually sent me to prison talked me into working for them. I was offered to be the chief of any department I wanted in the Department of Health. After sometime of coaxing, I accepted to be the Chief of TB Control (pulmonary medicine is one of my medical specialties) and Chief of Continuing Medical Education to make sure that the doctors in the department are getting trained and educated constantly so they don’t fall behind the progress in Medicine.

My story is not a secret. I have given it on radio and TV and in printed media all over the world. It’s even in the Internet but the Internet story is derogatory and embellished with false and untrue information.

That was the bad news.

The good news is because of the seeming heavy and scary event in my life with no friends or acquaintances to comfort me, I found what I needed in our Lord Jesus who became my Lord and Savior. It was in April 1986 when I became a born-again believer. That day became my new birth and the Lord hasn’t left or forsaken me, as He has promised. He was the best friend I was looking for.

“Filipinos Are Rich” was written as a mission for me to change our country. Others are doing their “thing” in politics but I want to go to the people directly. I want to rekindle their dreams so they can become a success they truly are. When we change their minds and give foods to their mouths, we will put dignity in their hearts.

Our mission is to do two kinds of seminars:
1. Filipinos Are Rich Seminar
2. We Don’t Die, We Kill Ourselves Seminar

To those of you who are inclined, you can be a speaker for me whenever you are in the Philippines. Just pick a topic that is Godly that will motivate our people and I will schedule you in one of the many seminars we will be doing in the Philippines. If you want, I also do seminars all over the world called Rapha Health Seminars which is for everyone, not just Filipinos, and I charge admission to that one.

I am open to anyone who would like to contribute to help me finance this project. Buy hundreds of this book and give them to all Filipinos you know. In addition, you can send us tax-deductible contributions to:

Cris Enriquez, M.D.
3J2 Ministries International
901 Brickell Key Blvd, PH 3807
Miami, Florida 33131