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<span style="font-weight: bold">Man accused of phony breast exams strikes deal with prosecutors</span>
FORT LAUDERDALE— A Coconut Creek man accused of posing as a doctor and offering free door-to-door breast exams has reached a deal with prosecutors, lawyers told a Broward judge on Tuesday.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Phillip Winikoff, 81, was accused in April 2006 of carrying on the ruse</span> with women at an apartment complex in the 3200 block of Northwest 40 Street in Lauderdale Lakes. Investigators said two women took Winikoff up on the offer, allowed him into their apartments and realized something was amiss only after the exams started.
Winikoff was charged with three counts of sexual battery, two counts of practicing medicine without a license, two counts of simple battery, and one count of using the title of doctor without a license.
If tried and convicted, he could have been sentenced to more than 45 years in prison for the sexual battery charges and another 10 years for practicing medicine without a license.
It was not revealed Tuesday whether the deal Winikoff reached with prosecutors will keep him out of prison.
Winikoff, who was in court with a half-dozen family members, was scheduled to enter a plea of either guilty or no contest, but by the time the prosecutor and Winikoff's lawyer arrived, Broward Circuit Judge Sandra Perlman said she had a trial to oversee and needed to reschedule the Winikoff plea. No firm date was set.
Details of the plea deal were unavailable late Tuesday afternoon; messages left for prosecutor Lawren Vann and defense lawyer Anthony Alfero were not returned.
At the time of Winikoff's arrest, the Broward Sheriff's Office said he carried a little black bag to lend credibility to his claim of being a doctor. <span style="font-weight: bold">The first victim, 36 at the time, told detectives he started the exam by fondling her breasts, and she knew something was wrong when his hands wandered elsewhere.</span>
By the time the victim called 911, Winikoff had already found a second victim, the sheriff's office said.
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FORT LAUDERDALE— A Coconut Creek man accused of posing as a doctor and offering free door-to-door breast exams has reached a deal with prosecutors, lawyers told a Broward judge on Tuesday.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Phillip Winikoff, 81, was accused in April 2006 of carrying on the ruse</span> with women at an apartment complex in the 3200 block of Northwest 40 Street in Lauderdale Lakes. Investigators said two women took Winikoff up on the offer, allowed him into their apartments and realized something was amiss only after the exams started.
Winikoff was charged with three counts of sexual battery, two counts of practicing medicine without a license, two counts of simple battery, and one count of using the title of doctor without a license.
If tried and convicted, he could have been sentenced to more than 45 years in prison for the sexual battery charges and another 10 years for practicing medicine without a license.
It was not revealed Tuesday whether the deal Winikoff reached with prosecutors will keep him out of prison.
Winikoff, who was in court with a half-dozen family members, was scheduled to enter a plea of either guilty or no contest, but by the time the prosecutor and Winikoff's lawyer arrived, Broward Circuit Judge Sandra Perlman said she had a trial to oversee and needed to reschedule the Winikoff plea. No firm date was set.
Details of the plea deal were unavailable late Tuesday afternoon; messages left for prosecutor Lawren Vann and defense lawyer Anthony Alfero were not returned.
At the time of Winikoff's arrest, the Broward Sheriff's Office said he carried a little black bag to lend credibility to his claim of being a doctor. <span style="font-weight: bold">The first victim, 36 at the time, told detectives he started the exam by fondling her breasts, and she knew something was wrong when his hands wandered elsewhere.</span>
By the time the victim called 911, Winikoff had already found a second victim, the sheriff's office said.
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