Chapel Hill police arrested William Frederick Mackey, Jr., who was self-employed, at 3:50 p.m. Tuesday at his office on 109 Conner Drive after a joint investigation with the State Bureau of Investigation.
The suspect was charged with five counts of practicing medicine without a valid license, five counts of prescribing prescription drugs without a valid license and one count of obtaining controlled substances by fraud.
The latter charge is a felony; the former are misdemeanors.
According to records from the N.C. Medical Board, Mackey's license was "summarily suspended" on March 3.
"A summary suspension is without trial or hearing because of a threat to the public," said Dale Braden, director of the board's public affairs.
The board took action in response to reports of Mackey's alleged alcohol abuse and other charges, including impersonating a law enforcement officer while drunk in 1994.
The board then issued an order on April 10 to "indefinitely suspend" Mackey's license.
Braden said that although indefinitely suspending a doctor's license is not exactly the same as revocation, it is just as final. "It accomplished the same thing with different wording."
Chapel Hill police recently received information that Mackey had continued practicing medicine since his suspension.
