Born in Chicago, Illinois and originally trained as a pharmacist, Barnbaum had his license revoked in the aftermath of Medicaid fraud charges in 1971.
[citation needed] In 1979, his negligence and lack of medical knowledge contributed to the death of John McKenzie, a 29-year-old undiagnosed Type I diabetic from Anaheim who had complained of a dry mouth, chronic thirst, dizziness, and rapid weight loss.
He briefly served as a referral doctor, but was caught in 1984 when he tried to apply for hospital privileges and the real Dr. Barnes blew the whistle.
[citation needed] Arrested again in early 1991 for parole violations and released in October, the impostor worked for four and a half years in a half-dozen medical facilities in the Los Angeles area.
[citation needed] In 1995, he obtained a position as staff physician at Executive Health Group, a Los Angeles clinic that handled physical checkups on FBI agents and senior officials with the Federal Reserve Bank.
[1] The real Dr. Barnes spent several years repairing his credit and his reputation as a result of Barnbaum's fraudulent activities.