The Melbourne Police Department trained people to pose as patients seeking medical treatment for nonexistent illnesses, provided them with false medical records, trained them to give false medical histories, then sent them to walk-in clinics and arrested a doctor on false felony charges of distributing controlled substances, Dr. Nima Heshmati claims in Federal Court.

Heshmati claims the bogus operation caused him to be thrown into jail and his medical license to be suspended.

He claims the defendants knowingly provided false testimony about their office visits. "Each and every prescription issued by Dr. Heshmati was medically necessary and followed the medical standards for the prescribing of these controlled substances," the complaint states.
Heshmati demands punitive damages for conspiracy, false imprisonment, and civil rights violations. He also sues several Melbourne police officers as individuals, and the Florida Department of Health and other state agencies.