A former dentist from Potomac has been sentenced for a $8.5 million theft from Medicaid.
Seyed Hamid Tofigh, 57, owned Rockville Family Dentistry on Hubard Drive as well as a dentistry practice in Prince George’s County, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Tofigh practiced dentistry without a license on Maryland Medicaid recipients who were mostly children. Tofigh received a total of $8.5 million from Maryland Medicaid for services that were fraudulently billed under other providers.
The Maryland Board of Dental Examiners suspended Tofigh’s license in 2014 following several complaints from his patients. After further investigation, the Board revoked his license in 2015. From 2015 through January of last year, he continued to practice dentistry on Maryland Medicaid recipients, stealing identities, forging signatures, and using aliases.
Tofigh billed for services he did not provide and gave “substandard” care to patients, using equipment that was not properly sanitized and performing unnecessary services like unnecessary root canals, according to the Attorney General’s Office. He “bullied and intimidated” patients who questioned him.
“In sum, Tofigh’s practice of dentistry continued to fall below professional standards, resulting in pain, suffering, and infections to children with Maryland Medicaid health insurance,” per a release from the office.
He must permanently surrender his Maryland dental license.
“This case revealed a complex healthcare fraud scheme that not only drained taxpayer dollars away from our State’s Medicaid program, but also placed Dr. Tofigh’s young patients in real danger,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a written statement.
This month in Prince George’s County, Tofigh pleaded guilty to one count of defrauding a state health plan, Medicaid, and one count of practicing dentistry without a license, per the Attorney General’s Office. Tofigh was sentenced to serve 78 days in jail and 18 months’ home detention, with five years probation, plus another five years probation. Both sentences will run consecutively.
Tofigh was ordered to pay $8.5 million in restitution within one year.
