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Simone Gold, of America's Frontline Doctors, Reports to Federal Prison

— The doctor's medical license was also placed on inactive status during her incarceration

MedpageToday
A photo composite of Simone Gold and Statuary Hall of Congress, United States Capitol Building, Washington, DC

The medical license for Simone Gold, MD, JD, founder of America's Frontline Doctors, was by the Medical Board of California after she reported to a Miami prison earlier this week to serve her sentence for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Gold has long argued against COVID-19 vaccines, instead promoting disproven treatments such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. During the January 6 riot, she made speeches about COVID treatments in National Statuary Hall as violent protesters were invading the building.

Gold was found guilty on one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building, despite law enforcement officials' attempts to prevent her from entering the building and to get her to leave along with the other rioters.

She was also reported to have failed -- despite her training as a physician -- to help a police officer who had fallen in front of her.

Gold's representatives continued to on Friday. "Dr. Simone Gold has reported to prison and will serve 60 days as a nonviolent Jan6 defendant after taking a plea for a misdemeanor charge. She is both a lawyer and a doctor with no criminal record. Her only crime was to protest government corruption. This is horribly wrong."

The Medical Board of California's notice, which was posted on its website Friday, said Gold's inactive status will continue throughout her term of incarceration.

California law states that "a Physician and Surgeon's Certificate shall be automatically placed on inactive status during any period of time that the holder of the certificate is incarcerated after conviction of a misdemeanor," noted Carlos Villatoro, public information manager for the Medical Board of California, who added that the board does not consider Gold's change in license status to be a disciplinary action.

During her inactive status, she is "prohibited from engaging in the practice of medicine or representing [herself] as having an active Physician's and Surgeon's Certificate issued by the Medical Board of California," according to the board's notice.

In sentencing her to 60 days in prison and another year of supervised release, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper said he did not think Gold was remorseful.

"It is obvious from the video that we watched today that you were part of an angry and aggressive, I would say mob, crowd of people intent on getting past law enforcement and entering the East Rotunda through those doors," Cooper told Gold.

It is unclear whether America's Frontline Doctors will continue to assist patients who want to obtain unauthorized COVID treatments. However, the organization's website urges visitors to locate a "freedom pharmacy that will provide you with the medicine you desire and deserve" by searching for independent pharmacies near their location

It also recommends calling pharmacies on the list to "ask how they feel about hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin, the COVID vaccine, and/or masks. This will help you know if they are aligned with freedom or the big pharma agenda."

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Simone Gold lost her medical license, when in fact it was placed on inactive status.

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    Cheryl Clark has been a medical & science journalist for more than three decades.