VENTURA : Physician Indicted in Magazine Case

The Ventura County Grand Jury on Tuesday indicted a physician on seven counts of false personation, accusing Dr. Reynaldo Fong of ordering thousands of magazine subscriptions in the name of a Camarillo attorney against whom he held a grudge.

“It’s a weird case,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard Simon said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever seen this charge. He sent her everything from Civil War magazines to . . . sports magazines.”

Simon said Fong, 44, became angry at Theresa McConville about 10 years ago because she worked at a law firm that reported him to the state Board of Medical Quality Assurance.

Fong had been fired from Santa Paula Hospital for double billing insurance companies, Simon said, and in retaliation referred medical malpractice suits from the hospital to various law firms.

McConville’s law firm refused to take Fong’s cases and reported him to the state agency, Simon said.

“He had some contact with her, and for some reason, he fixated on her,” said Simon, adding that Fong has also sent magazines to several doctors and administrators at Santa Paula Hospital.

McConville, who received more than 5,000 unwanted magazines in 10 years, contacted the magazines and got information about others who were also receiving publications sent by Fong, Simon said.

McConville contacted the other victims and “they figured out the only connection was Santa Paula Hospital,” Simon said. After she reviewed her old cases, she found a note in Fong’s handwriting, which matched the handwriting on a false subscription notice she obtained from a magazine, Simon said.

Fong is scheduled to go to trial Aug. 22. He is in Salinas, out of custody on $5,000 bail. McConville could not be reached for comment Tuesday.