Effective July 9, the College of Optometrists of Ontario removed the licence of Mr. Baseem Wahab, who had been practising as an optometrist in Windsor, Ontario and the surrounding area.
Mr. Wahab provided false and misleading information when registering with the College, failing to disclose that:
- He had a prior licence to practise optometry in the State of Arizona, and that this licence was revoked in 2011 as a result of a disciplinary proceeding stemming from a failure to disclose 48 criminal charges filed against him for felony, fraud, and theft related to a credit card fraud case in 2009. In addition, Mr. Wahab had been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for five counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; he pled guilty to a Class E felony offence.
- His licence to practise optometry in the State of Michigan was revoked in March 2013, based on his failure to notify the Michigan Board of Optometry of the disciplinary action taken by the Arizona Board; and that he had applied to reinstate his licence in Michigan.
- He was under disciplinary probation in Michigan at the time he applied to the College to practise in Ontario.
As per the College’s registration regulation, anyone who provides false or misleading information on an application does not meet requirements to practise in Ontario.
Mr. Wahab practised optometry at SEEN Vision Care at:
- 1614 Lesperance Road, Suite G6 (Tecumseh Town Centre), Tecumseh, Ontario, N8N 1Y3
- 3100 Howard Avenue (Devonshire Mall), Windsor, Ontario, N8X 3Y8
As of July 9, 2020, Mr. Wahab is no longer entitled to:
- practise optometry in any capacity,
- hold himself out as an optometrist, or
- use the restricted title of “Doctor”, “optometrist” or any variation or abbreviation thereof in the province of Ontario.
Questions can be directed to the College of Optometrists of Ontario, 416-479-9295 / 888-825-2554
About the College
The College of Optometrists of Ontario regulates Ontario’s optometry profession in the public interest. Guided by provincial legislation, the College uses its authority to regulate who practises optometry in Ontario; ensure continuous learning and quality improvement; and respond to concerns and investigate complaints.