Helen was glad to arrive in Santo Domingo but was taken aback by the facility's poor conditions. Within a few hours Helen was relieved to finally meet the doctor she had heard so much about. Although doctors in the United States had confirmed Helen to be cancer free, Caplinger said his review of her file revealed a small tumor that needed aggressive treatment. Helen was frightened but also confident she had made the right choice to travel so far from home.

But the next morning Helen received a phone all from her husband. He had discovered that Dr. Gregory Caplinger was no doctor at all but a con-man who scammed millions from investors and unsuspecting patients willing to support his cure-all drug, "Immustim." He was also wanted by the FBI, who believes "Immustim" could contain a combination of illegal steroids, vitamins and amphetamines. In short, Caplinger was a medical imposter who preyed on the dying and their families. Caplinger never went to medical school and, in fact, printed many of the fraudulent diplomas hanging in his office.

Helen demanded her money back and Caplinger agreed to return half of the $40,000 payment she had made. Three years after Helen's ordeal she remains cancer free but she is one of the lucky ones. Dozens of others were not so lucky.

Linda and Dave Cernan also put their faith in Dr. Caplinger when it looked like Dave had no other options. They had been married 3 years when Dave was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. Two years later he needed a liver transplant, but finding a match in time wasn't likely. They gambled with Linda's inheritance and went to Santo Domingo. Dave's treatment began immediately. But instead of getting better, Dave's health deteriorated rapidly. As the weeks went by, Linda was shocked by the unsanitary conditions of the clinic. Although Dave hadn't been strong enough to get out of bed for weeks, Linda was desperate to get him home to see his son. Dave Cernan passed away just 24 hours after returning to the United States.

UPDATE: While in production on this story, Unsolved Mysteries was informed that after 2 years of evading law enforcement, Gregory Caplinger had turned himself in to Dominican Republic officials. Outstanding warrants allowed Caplinger to immediately be extradited to the US. Caplinger was on the FBI's most wanted list after he fled during a 1999 trial in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was convicted of money laundering in the "Immustim" scheme. Gregory Caplinger was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years for fraud and ordered to pay restitution of close to $1 million.