Former Dentist Sentenced for Health Care Fraud
Surrendered license to Texas Dental Board
Published : Tuesday, 25 Jan 2011, 4:32 PM CST
PASADENA, Texas - A former dentist operating out of Pasadena has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for health care fraud on Monday.
What Did the Former Dentist Do?
David Lloyd Gonzales Jr., 47, was accused of fraudulently billing Medicaid for dental work he did not perform, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice . The work included:
- Root canals
- Crowns
- Fillings
- Extracting impacted wisdom teeth
Gonzales Jr. was suspended from the Medicaid program in 2005. He was later tried and convicted on Aug. 2010 of 22 counts of health care fraud, and aiding and abetting health care fraud.
He surrendered his dental license to the Texas Dental Board following his conviction.
Other Punishments in Store for Former Dentist
In addition to prison time, Gonzalez Jr. must also:
- Serve three years of supervised release
- Pay a $2,200 fine for special assessments ($100 for each conviction)
- Pay $103,000 restitution to Medicaid
Gonzalez Jr. has been permitted to remain on bond pending his transfer to a prison facility.
