Florida’s Board of Medicine Friday revoked the license of a doctor convicted of child pornography and agreed to allow a doctor convicted of corruption and tax crimes to continue practicing after his release from prison.
Emergency room Dr. Robert Davis Williams is serving five years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography.
Williams was arrested shortly after he completed his residency at Shands Jacksonville, according to public documents.
The board rejected a proposed agreement from Williams’ attorneys that would have included a reprimand, a $10,000 fine and a possible return to practice if PRN, a group that monitors troubled physicians, agreed that he could practice with skill and safety.
“These guys get on the Internet and do all kinds of despicable things, and they just go to PRN,” said board member Dr. Zachariah Zachariah. “This is a negotiating tactic.”
According to an account of the case in First Coast News, investigators seized 697 DVDs, 40 VHS tapes, 62 floppy disks and two Zip disks that contained child pornography.
In other action, the board agreed that South Florida eye doctor Alan Mendelsohn can return to practice after he finishes four years in prison for corruption and tax crimes.
With little discussion, the board quickly agreed to a settlement that includes a $20,000 fine, and a one-year suspension followed by three years of probation.
As Health News Floridareported Tuesday, Mendelsohn was accused of playing a central role in a scheme that diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars from political action committees into his own pocket.
The money came from political donors who were paying in return for behind-the-scenes legislative favors. He also failed to report $700,000 of his income to the IRS.
His prison sentence is expected to begin Jan. 1; his suspension and other discipline will be stayed until after his release, documents state.
-- Health News Florida is an independent online publication dedicated to public-service journalism. Reporter Brittany Alana Davis can be reached at 954-239-8968 or by e-mail.