POTOMAC, Md. — A former Maryland dentist was found guilty and sentenced for stealing $8.5 million from Medicaid, according to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.
Seyed Hamid Tofigh of Potomac pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of defrauding a state health plan and one count of practicing dentistry without a license. He was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday, but the judge suspended all but 78 days, meaning he will only serve 78 days in prison. He will also serve 18 months in home detention, and be on probation for 10 years.
He was also ordered to pay the $8.5 million in restitution within one year. So far, he has made one $4.5 million payment.
Tofigh had been a licensed dentist in Maryland since 1994 and owned several practices with his two brothers. In 2015, his license was revoked following several complaints from patients.
After an investigation by the Maryland Board of Dental Examiners, it was found Tofigh kept “consistently incompetent and egregiously deficient” dental records, provided substandard treatment and fraudulently billed for services he never provided.
Around this time, he and his brothers separated ownership of the practices, but Tofigh continued to own a dentistry in Greenbelt and another in Rockville.
Until 2023, Tofigh continued to practice dentistry. It was found that during this time, he forged signatures on Medicaid applications, stole identities and created aliases, according to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. To avoid detection, Tofigh would sign notes “Dr. T.” because any of his brothers could have been “Dr. T.”
Tofigh, between 2015 and 2022, submitted claims for payment to Maryland Medicaid using the name, Medicaid provider number and credentials of his twin brother, his younger brother and his nephew. Those family members are all licensed dentists.
He also used equipment that was not properly sanitized and performed and billed for unnecessary services including root canals, fillings and tooth extractions. He also bullied and intimidated patients who questioned him, according to Maryland Office of the Attorney General. Most of his patients were children.
“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,” Attorney General Anthony G. Brown said in a press release. “By stopping Dr. Tofigh, my office continues in its commitment to protecting patients and ensuring the integrity of State programs remains intact.”
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