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SPRING HILL — The signs were pasted on the walls of nearly every room in Lynn Hutchinson's pain management clinic.
They warned patients against doctor shopping, sharing medications and other illegal activity often associated with the businesses. None of that, Hutchinson told patients and neighbors, would be tolerated at Hope Pain Management Group.
But she wasn't as law abiding as she implied, authorities say. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office vice and narcotics unit conducted an 18-month investigation and said it discovered that the 46-year-old and a doctor working for her regularly broke the law.
Hutchinson practiced medicine without a license, investigators say. Undercover detectives and informers learned that Hutchinson sent patients for MRIs, gave exams and issued prescriptions for pain medicine.
Dr. Harold Sleight, the clinic's listed medical director, knew of the activity and allowed it to occur, investigators said. Even when he didn't evaluate patients, Sleight presigned blank prescription forms for Hutchinson to give out, authorities said.
Deputies arrested Hutchinson on Tuesday on multiple counts of unlawful practice of medicine, unlicensed practice of a health care physician, criminal use of personal identification, and fraudulent representation of a practitioner to obtain a controlled substance.
Sleight, 70, was also arrested and charged with three counts each of principal to unlawful practice of medicine and principal to unlicensed practice of a health care physician.
The investigation will continue, authorities said, and more charges are probable. The clinic, which has operated for at least the last two years at 1250 Mariner Blvd. in Spring Hill, will likely be closed indefinitely.
"This business did not fall into the typical definition of a pill mill," said Sheriff Al Nienhuis. "Even though they did not dispense controlled substances, they were no less dangerous. … It is businesses like these that are driving our prescription drug epidemic as well as many of our property crimes."
Though Hutchinson has long purported to be a doctor, she's not. State records show that she has no medical degree in Florida, and investigators say she has never earned one anywhere else.
She was charged three years ago with concealing information from a practitioner to obtain a prescription. In that mug shot, she's wearing blue scrubs with "Dr. Lynn Hutchinson" stitched above "Hernando Medical."
When investigators escorted her to a patrol car Tuesday afternoon, a gold emblem was pinned over the "Dr." Above that, "Da Boss" was written in black.
Hutchinson has also claimed to be a psychic.
On some websites where she offered her psychic services, "Dr." precedes her name. Her Amazon.com profile lists her as "Doc. Hutchinson." She also often refers to herself as a "medical missionary."
Her profile on liveperson.com indicates she charged $5 per question about the future. On another site, her rate is listed as $15.99 per minute.
"Sometimes the truth is the hardest thing for a person to see, especially when they are put into a situation that might not be all that comfortable for them," the liveperson profile says. "I will not let you down, I have built my name and Reputation on being Honest, as well as Accurate."
Throughout Hutchinson's Facebook page, where she also calls herself a doctor, she discusses her work at the clinic.
In May, authorities say, Brittany Miles ran over and killed a motorcyclist as she fled from deputies. Friends blamed much of her bizarre, violent behavior in the months leading up to the incident on prescription pill abuse.
The day of Miles' arrest, Hutchinson posted a link to a story about the crash on her Facebook wall.
"This was my patient," Hutchinson wrote, "who I discharged thankfully almost 2 months ago."
In September 2009, she posted a picture of a shield and a caduceus labeled "Psychiatrist." The caption below that reads: "Okay so here (is) what I worked my butt off for … just to be able to hang this shingle."
State records show that Hutchinson is not a registered psychiatrist.
Several of the business' patients were shocked Tuesday when they arrived for appointments and heard about the allegations.
Though Hutchinson never prescribed him medication, Milton Van Sandt of Spring Hill thought she was a doctor. He has used the clinic for more than a year and said he thought the operation was reputable.
"They had lots of strict rules. That's why I came here," he said. "This was completely up and up. I'm shocked."
John Woodrow Cox can be reached at (352) 848-1432 or jcox@sptimes.com.
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