Man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison following fraud scheme, allegations he posed as Ponte Vedra psychiatrist

Jacksonville, FL — A 64-year-old Tennessee man, who was also accused of posing as a psychiatrist in Ponte Vedra, Florida, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison following a fraud scheme that cheated investors out of $3 million.

According to the US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, George David George pleaded guilty Tuesday to seven counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. As part of his sentence, George will also be required to pay more than $2.8 million in restitution.

The US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee says the charges stemmed from a business that George founded, called WellCity, Inc. George was accused of soliciting millions of dollars from investors, by misrepresenting the company's revenues, assets, and more.

The US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee says George also spent some time on the run, which included living under fake aliases in multiple states, including Texas, Alabama, and Florida. While in Alabama, investigators say he leased a $70,000 Mercedes using a stolen identity.

During his time in Florida, George is accused of representing himself as a Harvard-educated psychiatrist named Stephen Olivier. While posing as Dr. Olivier, he 'treated' patients in Ponte Vedra. The US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee says George ultimately gave one of his patients, a 16-year-old, Clonazepam after getting the medication from a woman he met on Match.com. The teen's mother testified that after her son took the medication, he became suicidal and needed to be hospitalized.

George was ultimately apprehended and arrested by US Marshals while in Florida.