Malachi Love-Robinson, 18, of West Palm Beach, looks over at his grandfather during his first appearance court hearing Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at the Palm Beach County Court Criminal Justice Complex in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Adam Sacasa/Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Once a scammer, always a scammer? That’s the question after Florida officials hauled Malachi Love-Robinson back to prison for his third known scam in less than ten years. Malachi gained notoriety in 2016, at 18, after impersonating a doctor, opening a fake clinic, and using both to steal thousands.
Last week, the 25-year-old received a prison sentence of two years and four months in Palm Beach County, Florida. The ruling came after he pleaded guilty to grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud.
According to court documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News, the former fake doctor worked as a salesperson in 2020. Love-Robinson’s employer, the United States of Freight, connects shippers with trucking companies, among other shipping needs.
Malachi pleaded guilty to stealing more than $10,000 during his employment. He stole the funds by directing customers to make payments to an account registered in his name rather than the company’s authorized accounts. Love-Robinson also received payments using Venmo and Paypal.
Malachi’s scheme was exposed after the company owner Dan O’Sullivan spoke to customers about their payments. After O’Sullivan confronted Malachi, the former Doctor Love admitted to accepting direct payments via text messages.
“I swear I wasn’t thinking, and I will make it right,” Robinson-Love texted O’Sullivan. “I get these compulsive stages and do things without thinking.”
His 28-month sentence comes after he was first arrested in January 2021.
As mentioned, at 18, Malachi became a household name after dominating headlines with his elaborate doctor scheme. In addition to pretending to be a medical professional, Love-Robinson opened a fake practice under The New Birth New Life Medical Center.
In the end, he stole about $30,000 from a woman in her 80s and another $20,000 from a licensed doctor. Police arrested him in February 2016 after he examined and prescribed treatment to an undercover police officer. He faced charges of forgery, grand theft, and practicing medicine without a license.
He was released on bail with conditions including requesting permission to leave the state. Malachi spoke about the charges in an exclusive with ABC News that same month. He claimed he didn’t say he was a doctor of medicine but expressed a longtime interest in naturopathic treatment.
“I do currently hold a PhD, in what, I don’t feel comfortable disclosing because that is not the issue here,” Malachi said.
By September, police had arrested him in Virginia for trying to purchase a car using false information. As a result, his bond was revoked.
He eventually pleaded guilty in both his Florida doctor impersonation and Virginia cases. He got 3.5 years in January 2018 and was released about 21 months later in September 2019.
