Dialogue Volume 13 Issue 3 2017 | Page 73

DISCIPLINE SUMMARIES 2007, Dr. Virani promised to pay back the original $60,000 plus the subsequent $448,000 if Patient A loaned him a further $53,410. Dr. Virani told Patient A that he needed this new loan to have a shipment of plastic goods released, which he claimed was worth $629,000. Patient A loaned Dr. Virani another $53,410 on February 16, 2007. On the same date, Dr. Virani provided Patient A with cheques in the amounts of $448,000; $33,000; and $53,410. Patient A, when attempting to cash the cheques, was told by the bank that Dr. Virani had put stop pay- ments on the cheques on the same day they were written. On April 15, 2007, Dr. Virani provided a cheque in the amount of $53,410 that Patient A was able to cash. Patient A contemplated legal action against Dr. Virani but did not pursue an action on the belief that he would not get any money back. Patient A and his family continued to see Dr. Virani as their physician in the hope that Dr. Virani would eventually pay the money back. Dr. Virani reimbursed a portion of the money loaned by Patient A in the amount of $128, 544 prior to declaring bankruptcy. Patient B Patient B, who is also originally from Iran, was Dr. Virani’s patient between about 1990 and 2007. Patient B trusted Dr. Virani and eventually several members of Patient B’s family became Dr. Virani’s patients as well. Patient B and Patient A did not know one another and did not know that each was lending money to Dr. Virani. Patient B felt comfortable with Dr. Virani, in part because Dr. Virani had trained in Iran and spoke Farsi. Patient B shared details of his business as well as the fact that he had a substantial line of credit available for his business. In September 2006, Dr. Virani introduced Mr. Latif to Patient B. Dr. Virani told Patient B about an investment opportunity that he wanted to discuss with Patient B. Patient B told Dr. Virani that he was not interested in the investment, and indicated that, due to the nature of his business, he did not trust anybody. Dr. Virani asked Patient B if he trusted him. Patient B replied that he trusted Dr. Virani “one hundred percent” and agreed to lend money to Dr. Virani, using his line of credit to do so. Dr. Virani offered to pay interest on the loan. Patient B refused, as his religious beliefs do not permit inter- est payments. Patient B loaned Dr. Virani $150,000 from his line of credit, which Dr. Virani immedi- ately wired to Mr. Latif ’s company, Pakistan Trading Co. Dr. Virani agreed to repay the loan within one month. On November 10, 2006, Dr. Virani again ap- proached Patient B and asked for another $51,000. Patient B agreed, obtaining the money from his line of credit. At Patient B’s request, Dr. Virani wrote out a promissory note on his prescription pad for the total loan of $201,000, undertaking in that note to return the amount unconditionally wi thin three months, which would have been February 10, 2007. In February 2007, Patient B attempted to collect the money owing. Dr. Virani told Patient B he was not able to repay the loan. Dr. Virani told Patient B that he needed more money to pay taxes and duties on a shipment of goods, without which he would be unable to repay any part of the loan already made. However, if Patient B were to give Dr. Virani some more money, Dr. Virani would be able to repay everything immediately. On the basis of Dr. Vi- rani’s representations, Patient B loaned him another $34,633 on February 9, 2007. On the same date, at Patient B’s request, Dr. Virani wrote three undated cheques, representing the total amount of all three loans, namely; $235,633 Dr. Virani told Patient B that he would be able to pay him within a few days and would tell Patient B what dates to put on the cheques. Dr. Virani never provided this information to Patient B and did not repay the loans. Patient B subsequently took legal action against Dr. Virani and obtained judgment in the amount of $235,633 from the Superior Court of Justice. Patient B has never collected on that judgment. Bankruptcy On June 30, 2011, Dr. Virani made a bankruptcy proposal. Both Patient A and Patient B are listed as unsecured creditors. By the time the proposal expires, Patient A, who is listed as a creditor in the amount of $448,000, will have received total payments of approximately $42,000. Patient B, who is listed as a creditor in the amount of $289,096, will have re- ceived total payments of approximately $27,000. ISSUE 3, 2017 DIALOGUE 73