Wisconsin Dentist Accused Of Breaking Patients' Teeth To Claim Insurance

A dentist in Wisconsin has been accused of deliberately damaging his patients' teeth and then charging insurance companies for crown procedures.

Scott Charmoli, 60, of Grafton, allegedly convinced his patients to undergo crown procedures by showing X-rays of the broken teeth after intentionally damaging them. He used a drill to break off "a portion of the patients' teeth, most often a cusp of a patient's tooth," according to an indictment.

Charmoli was charged in federal court Tuesday with eight counts of health care fraud and two counts of false statements relating to health care. Prosecutors said the dentist performed more than $2 million worth of crown procedures between January 2018 and August 2019.

"Patients, who believed Charmoli was the expert, accepted his false representations and agreed to the crown procedure," the indictment said, reported local news outlet Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The dentist was also accused of submitting the X-rays and photographs of chipped teeth to insurance companies to charge them for the procedures. The insurance companies did not cover the entire cost of the procedures, so the rest of the charges were often paid by the patients.

If convicted, he could face sentencing up to a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, reported the Associated Press.

Charmoli's attorney, Nila Robinson, did not immediately respond to an email message left Thursday by the Associated Press.

"The Justice Department focuses on prosecuting health care fraud not only to protect health care funds but also to protect patients who entrust their well-being to providers," U.S. Attorney Matthew Krueger said in a statement.

He is scheduled to appear in court for a plea hearing on Dec. 30.

U.S Federal law provides for both civil and criminal penalties for health care fraud. If the fraud results in serious bodily injury to someone, the defendant can get a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.