"Fake podiatrist" jailed after hundreds of consultations with vulnerable patients

In a record penalty, a Sydney man has been sentenced to two years’ jail and ordered to pay $51,900 in legal costs after pleading guilty to 16 breaches of the National Law. Ahpra laid the charges against the man who has never been a registered podiatrist and misrepresented himself as a ‘Master Podiatrist’.

Approximately 603 podiatry consultations were conducted by the man between November 2023 and May 2025. These were at patients’ homes and at 14 aged care facilities in Sydney. Almost all patients the man treated “were extremely vulnerable with significant health issues and/or disabilities”, Ahpra said.

The man’s actions could have had “catastrophic” outcomes for the vulnerable patients who were led to believe he was a qualified and registered podiatrist, Judge Lucas Swan said in sentencing on 27 May 2026 in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney.

The offending was “aggravated by the fact the victims in this matter were vulnerable, indeed some of our most vulnerable members of the community, some of whom were suffering significant health issues, all of which could have been catastrophic for them given the person providing treatment was not registered”, Swan said.

“It is further aggravated by the fact that [he] conceded that it was for financial gain, and occurred in the homes of the victims.”

Though the man had commenced a Bachelor of Podiatry, he did not complete the degree and has never been eligible for registration, Ahpra said. The man sought to hide his wrongdoing after becoming aware of Ahpra’s investigation, taking on the name of a genuinely registered practitioner who he had never interacted with or who had no knowledge of him.

A prosecution was commenced by Ahpra in December 2024. In early 2025, while the charges were still before the court, Ahpra discovered the man was continuing to practise, leading to additional charges. This marks the most significant sentence imposed on an individual, Ahpra said, and only the second jail term, since the National Scheme was established in 2010.

“Patients need to know their podiatrist meets the highest quality and safety standards, and that can only be demonstrated through registration,” the Chair of the Podiatry Board of Australia, Associate Professor Kristy Robson, said, noting that there are more than 6000 practising podiatrists on the Register of practitioners. “Anyone can check the register at any time and contact Ahpra if they have concerns,” Robson added.

“Pretending to be a registered health practitioner is a crime that puts people at risk of serious physical, emotional and financial harm,” Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner said. “Ahpra exists to protect the public and ensure Australia has a safe, professional health workforce. This case should serve as a warning that Ahpra will do whatever it takes to uphold the National Law and maintain confidence in the system.”

The man has been granted bail pending an appeal against his sentence.

Image credit: iStock.com/Marccophoto