Dateline: Dateline: A Wanted Man - Who was Mark Weinberger and what do we know about his crimes? Disturbing details of the 2012 incident, revealed

Mark Weinberger became one of the most wanted men in the US because of his series of misleading medical diagnoses and fraud practices. The episode of NBC’s Dateline: A Wanted Man follows the story of Weinberger’s heinous medical crimes that resulted in a death, permanent health ailments, and insurance fraud.

A nose, ear, and throat doctor, Weinberger, who lived an uber luxurious lifestyle, conducted several surgeries that were unwarranted. After disappearing for a long time, Weinberger was arrested for his criminal activities. But he was released within five years and now leads a normal life, while his former patients are still reeling from the aftermath of his malpractice.

Who is Mark Weinberger?

Mark Weinberger was a well-known ear, nose, and throat doctor from Indiana who had a booming sinus clinic. He completed his medical degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. Weinberger was married to Michelle Kramer, a psychology student. They had a whirlwind romance and lived a luxurious life together.

Kramer would recall to Dateline,

“The first date, I drove into the city, he had a bottle of champagne and a candle that was scented like champagne, and you know, I just remember being awestruck by all of this… He liked to do everything in a very grand style.”

Weinberger’s medical practice

He had a successful business with his Weinberger Sinus Clinic in Merrillville, Indiana. The clinic would have about 15 to 22 surgeries a week. However, things started to spiral when the truth about Weinberger's medical practice started to be uncovered.

A regular smoker, Phyllis Barnes had visited Weinberger in 2001, where she shared about her difficulty in breathing and having developed a hoarse voice. He performed a sinus surgery, but her symptoms persisted. He assured her that she would get better with time. But she did not.

Instead, she went in for a second opinion with another ear, nose, and throat specialist, Dr. Dennis Han. He immediately indicated that she was suffering from Stage 4 larynx cancer, with masses on her neck that were clearly visible.

The misdiagnosis and delayed treatment resulted in her death in 2004. Ken Allen represented Phyllis's family in a medical malpractice lawsuit against Weinberger. He shared,

“I don’t think she blamed Dr. Weinberger for her having developed cancer. What Weinberger was responsible for was not catching it and not treating it in a way that would have preserved the quality of her life.”

Similarly, Valerie Thomas had taken her eight-year-old daughter, Kayla, to see Weinberger after she repeatedly complained of nausea and headache. Weinberger advised her to get sinus surgery to rectify the problem. It was done within four days. But even after the surgery, Kayla continued to experience the discomforts.

Valerie took her daughter to other doctors, who finally gave her a proper diagnosis and found that she had a non-cancerous brain tumour. But since the sinus surgery gave her scar tissue, other doctors could not perform the procedure to remove the full tumour. She has been suffering the repercussions of it for years.

Weinberger disappears

Kramer and Weinberger went on a holiday to Greece in September 2004 to celebrate her 30th birthday. They had a lavish dinner in Mykonos, but the next day, he disappeared. Kramer was left with no explanation and was in a state of shock. A taxi driver informed that he had taken Weinberger to the airport earlier, from where he had taken a private jet to somewhere unknown. Kramer shared,

“I was brought to my knees by this whole situation.”

Only when she came home did she learn about her husband’s medical malpractices. She was made aware of the many civil lawsuits that were filed against Weinberger.

Meanwhile, his practice and the employees were also left clueless. The bank called in a specialist, Bob Handler, to try and save the practice. Handler discovered that Weinberger had billed insurance companies about $ 13 million in 2003, which was a staggering amount for a stand-alone clinic.

A criminal fraud investigation was carried out by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Indiana, following the discovery of bills from procedures that were never performed.

A grand jury charged him with 22 counts of healthcare fraud in 2006. His medical license was revoked, and an arrest warrant was issued for him. But Weinberger’s whereabouts were unknown.

Weinberger’s new identity and arrest

Kramer went on national television to talk about him and his crimes. In 2009 in Italy, Monica Specogna was told about the segment online by a friend. She was dating a man called Mark Stearn with similar descriptions. She had met him in Courmayeur, an Alpine ski resort in Northwest Italy. He had told her that he was writing a survival book while living in a tent near Mont Blanc.

When Specogna learnt the truth about Weinberger, she took the difficult decision to approach the police with the information. The authorities got a formal arrest warrant from the FBI for Weinberger. Just as he was arrested, he requested to use the restroom and went in, only to cut his own throat with a knife. He was treated at a hospital before being extradited to the US after two months.

In 2012, Weinberger pleaded guilty to the federal charges against him. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. As per NBC 5, Valerie Thomas said,

“I was nonfunctional that day….I did not think that was enough. At that point Kayla had suffered more than seven years.”

Through Indiana Patient’s Compensation Fund, about $55 million in settlement was reached for the 280 lawsuits filed against him.

Weinberger’s life today

After spending just about five years in prison, Weinberger was released in Florida. He has now taken on the role of ‘yoga doc’ to help people get healthy with customized yoga programs. He also advises on cryptocurrency on YouTube under the name Mark W. He remarried and is living in Florida with his new family.

Knowing that he is living a comfortable life, Thomas said,