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Patients respond to doctor's bribery claims

Posted at 6:56 PM, Jan 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-15 21:56:14-05

Former patients of a Tijuana doctor accused of injuring and killing patients are outraged after he claims those patients were bribed to ruin his name.

Dr. Mario Almanza told Team 10 he has performed more than 14,000 surgeries, but several patients told Team 10 they suffered horrible injuries after those surgeries performed in Tijuana.

On Thursday, Dr. Almanza told Team 10 the patients came forward to share their stories only because one of his former employees was trying to extort him and ruin his name.

He said a former employee, Melissa Henson, offered the patients $500 each.

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However, on Friday, several patients fired back, saying that was not true.

Former patient Diana Thomas wrote: "I was never offered a bribe, or any money or compensation of any sort ... Did you not find it idiotic that we as his victims would accept a bribe when our medical costs to stay alive ranged well into the half-million dollar range per person?"

Ex-patient Kaycha Baez also said any claims she received money was "ridiculous."

Watch Team 10 Investigator Melissa Mecija's full report in the video player above.