Alexandria Dentist Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud
January 10, 2012
ALEXANDRIA, Va. –Tuan Vu, 43, of Annandale, Va., pleaded guilty today to fraudulently billing insurance providers hundreds of thousands of dollars for dental services that he did not provide to his patients.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Liam O’Grady.
Vu was charged today by criminal information with health care fraud, and he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 4, 2012.
In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Vu admitted to committing health care fraud from at least January 2007 to September 2011. Vu is the owner of Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, PLLC, a dental practice located in Alexandria, Va. During the time of his health care fraud scheme, Vu consistently billed dental insurance providers for services that he did not provide his patients. As a result of Vu’s offense, at least 10 private insurance providers suffered more than $400,000 in losses. Dr. Vu’s conduct also resulted in a substantial loss to the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia, including $87,389 to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program and $180,048 to the Virginia Medicaid program.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Chad Golder is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.
