Local physician gets prison time for unlicensed practice

Leonard Rubinstein was sentenced seven years in prison and nine years’ probation after he was found guilty of four counts of practicing medicine with a revoked license.

The case began in 2013, but had its origins in 2011 when the Florida Board of Medicine voted to revoke Rubinstein’s license because of patient complaints about unnecessary procedures. That revocation was effective in December 2012. Rubinstein continued to practice, the court determined, until 2013,  according to a press release from the Sarasota Police Department.

In December 2013, the Sarasota Police Department executed a search warrant at the Center for Integration in Cosmetic Surgery at 1805 Siesta Drive, where Rubinstein, 61, had medical office was located. That investigation was spurred by complaints and involved a member of the SPD Narcotics Unit posing as a potential patient.

Seized medical records and marketing materials, and evidence of illegally obtained controlled substance medications that were found during the investigation, were used to convict Rubinstein.