BONITA, Calif. — The Medical Board of California has accused a South Bay doctor of false advertising.
The state agency that licenses physicians and surgeons alleges Dr. Carlos Chacon falsely inferred on his clinic’s website and online marketing that he was board certified with two organizations when he was not.
The organizations are the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society for Plastic Surgeons, according to the medical board’s second amended accusation against Chacon, which it recently published online.
Chacon is the Bonita doctor who made headlines after being charged with murder for a patient’s death.
Prosecutors allege Chacon left Megan Espinoza, in critical condition suffocating for hours at his plastic surgery center in 2018 while he saw other patients. She had hired the doctor for a breast augmentation procedure and went into cardiac arrest while on the operating table.
Chacon has pleaded not guilty to the charge and is set to stand trial in April.
“Megan Espinoza was a gem of the community. She was a kindergarten teacher. She left a thoughtful and sweet husband and two children,” said Christian Jagusch, the physician-attorney who represented Espinoza’s family in a lawsuit against Chacon.
Jagusch said since Espinoza’s death, Chacon has renewed his license twice and continued to see patients despite being criminally charged.
“And in this process, he is still allowed to take care of patients. Why is this? And I think that's the question for people to be asking the medical board,” Jagusch said.
A court order now prevents Chacon from performing surgeries, but he is still able to see patients for other procedures.
Requests for comment sent by ABC 10News to his attorneys weren’t returned. When 10News visited his clinic on Monday the doors were locked and the phone number for his office appeared to be disconnected.
Chacon who is known as ‘Dr. Divino’ online, was still advertising his services last October on Instagram.
The Medical Board of California declined a request for an interview saying it doesn't comment on pending accusations.
"In general, however, the board encourages the public to file a complaint with the board if they believe their physician has been negligent, incompetent, or otherwise acted in an unprofessional manner," board spokesperson Alexandria Schembra told ABC 10 News.
"If the board obtains clear and convincing evidence that a physician has violated the Medical Practice Act, it will take appropriate action against that physician," she added.
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