This is  the stuff that movies are made of.  Dr. Jose L. Covarrubias is a plastic surgeon who lives in Nogales on the US side but practices in Nogales on the Mexican side.  Apparently, Dr. Covarrubias has an interesting practice.

It seems this Jamaican fellow, Marc George, is a hard-working Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, drug dealer.  Having left the beautiful Caribbean island to ply his trade in the dinge of Harrisburg, he was intent on avoiding forced retirement.  George sought out the services of the good doctor to make a few minor adjustments.

Dr. C must be a very good doctor.  With very bad morals.  It kinda makes you wonder why he wasn’t on staff at Boston General, but that’s better left to a critique of managed care in America.  George was apparently trying to avoid apprehension by police for doing business too well and Dr. C agrees to make his fingerprints go away by using the skin from George’s feet.  This begs the question of what George planned to walk on afterward, but this too must remain a mystery.

Somehow, the feds learned of Dr. C’s surgical skills and brought him to Harrisburg to face the music.  Let this be a lesson for physicians:  never seek insurance reimbursement for criminal fingerprint changing.  First, the money is poor.  Second, there’s no correct code to put on the forms.  Third, you go to jail.  Then again, perhaps he was paid cash?

The good doc has entered a plea agreement with a max of 5 years and the deal requires him to provide full cooperation.  Did George think the physician was going to stand up?  In exchange. the feds dropped the conspiracy count. 

The doctor’s attorney, Stephen G. Ralls, said Covarrubias had “a lapse of judgment” and had no prior criminal record.

A lapse of judgment?  Or a Mercedes payment due?   Whatever the motivation, having a plastic surgeon change swap the skin from one’s fingers for foot-dermis is, well, just creepy.