Valley Center ‘pH Miracle’ advocate Robert Young guilty practicing medicine, no license

Valley Center naturopath and “pH Miracle Living” author Robert Oldham Young was found guilty Wednesday of two felony charges of practicing medicine without a license. A hung jury, after two weeks of deliberations, found him innocent of one charge of practicing medicine without a license and didn’t convict him of six fraud and grand theft charges.

Young, 63, had expressed optimism he would avoid convictions during a two month trial involving dozens of witnesses and over 200 evidence items. Young never took the witness stand. Jurors instead watched recordings of undercover investigators with Young along with Young’s own Youtube testimonials.

Prosecutors in their original 13-page complaint, said Young charged four terminally ill patients at least $50,000 each for treatment. one paid more than $120,000 for treatment. All six terminally ill patients named in the original complaint have died, Darvas said.

Also charged in the original complaint were Bennie Stephen Johnson, 63, listed as a medical doctor Young hired to help with patient care and Rocio “Rosie” Placencia, 32, a pH Miracle Center employee who allegedly lied to investigators and hid medical supplies in a shed at her Valley Center home. Charges later were dismissed against them.

San Diego Deputy District Attorney Gina Darvas said Young gave at least six terminally ill cancer patients intravenous lines of sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, charging $500 for each “treatment” at his North County ranch and medical center.

The prosecutor said Young took just one biology class from the University of Utah in the 1970s and did not graduate from the school.

Defense attorney Paul Pfingst said patients sought out Young specifically because he wasn’t a doctor, but rather a naturopathic practitioner who has alternative views to traditional medicine.

Jurors voted 11-1 to convict on the two charges, each of which carries a three year-plus penalty. They dreadlocked 8-4 on the fraud charges.

Jurors, who weren’t identified, said after the verdict they looked at Young like a snake oil salesman. One juror said the deadlocked deliberations “wasn’t a satisfying conclusion.”

Not a medical doctor, Young received doctorate degrees from Clayton College of Natural Health, a non-accredited and now- defunct Alabama  correspondence school. He went from a bachelors degree to masters to doctorate in eight months, according to Deputy District Attorney Gina Darvas.

At opening statements in November, Darvas said Young told patients at his center he could treat their cancer and gave at least six terminally ill patients intravenous lines of baking soda.

Another view of Robert O. Young.

For the prosecution

Prosecution witnesses included family members of cancer patients who had gone to the center and subsequently died.

Pfingst said people sought help from Young specifically because he was a naturopathic practitioner and not a medical doctor. Young never said his technique would cure cancer, Pfingst said. Needles used for intravenous treatments were applied by licensed doctors and nurses, he said.

During previous hearings, Deputy District Attorney Gina Darvas accused Young of treating people who had run out of hope with intravenous medication at his avocado ranch and health center. He also engaged in medical procedures only authorized for doctors, Darvas said.

Prosecutors in their original 13-page complaint, said Young charged four terminally ill patients at least $50,000 each for treatment. one paid more than $120,000 for treatment. All six terminally ill patients named in the original complaint have died, Darvas said.

This case was not Young’s first brush with the law. work has landed him in criminal court. He was arrested in Utah during 1995 on two felony charges of practicing medicine without a license. He pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor, which was dismissed 18 months later under a plea deal. He was charged again in Utah in 2001, but the case was dropped.

Waiting for the verdict to drop

Waiting outside Judge Richard Whitney’s Department 21 courtroom last month, Young was very open about his thoughts on the case, even as he expressed relief the trial portion of his ordeal was coming close to conclusion.

Young was optimistic he would be exonerated of charges and continue his efforts at his 46-acre, 16390 Dia Del Sol Valley Center pH Miracle Center and throughout the natural health healing world.

“It’s finally coming to an end,” Young said in the halls of justice. “I’m looking forward to some sort of resolution and hopeful the judge will come to the right conclusion. Then, we all can breathe again and get back to helping people.”

Young continued: “My defense (by attorney Paul Pfingst and team) has been as good as one could expect. We’ve had people come from all over the world to testify on my behalf. They’ve even paid their own way to be here. Hundreds of people wanted to come and Paul had to decided who would speak.

Young added: “I think the judge has been very fair and that’s all you can hope for. I think he’s been fair to both sides.”

Young is best known for his book “The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health,” currently listed as No. 75 on Amazon’s top-100 list of best-selling weight-loss books. The book has sold millions, and been translated into at least 18 languages. He said he has written 60 books and is finishing up a sequel, so-to-speak to his pH miracle best-seller.