Dental Office Staff Face Jail Instead of Whistleblower Rewards

When prosecutors indicted the owner of a dental practice for Medicaid fraud, they also indicted his office manager, billing manager, and four dentists employed by the practice as co-conspirators in the fraud.

Stephen Beukas is a dentist and former owner of New Jersey Mobile Dental Practice, P.A. (”NJ Mobile”).  Dentists working for NJ Mobile provided on-site dental treatment to patients at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day care facilities, and private homes.

The government alleges that NJ Mobile submitted more than $5 million in false claims to Medicaid by:

• upcoding or overbilling Medicaid for services that were provided
• systematically billing for additional services that were not provided
• adding a “trip charge” for every patient, even when multiple patients were seen on a single trip
• billing for a patient who was deceased at the time the services allegedly were provided

As is typical in dental fraud cases, the government did not just arrest the dentist who owned the practice.  The government also indicted the office manager, billing manager, and other employees as co-conspirators for going along with the fraud.  These employees now face felony fraud charges that could result in long prison sentences and hefty financial penalties.

It is too early to tell whether the dental office employees were innocent rubes or willing co-conspirators.  But if they knew that false claims were being submitted to Medicaid, they had a number of options that might have avoided the criminal charges they now face.

One option was to consult with an experienced whistleblower attorney about the rewards and legal protections available under the state and federal False Claims Acts.

Under the federal False Claims Act, an individual citizen may bring a qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the government and share in any recovery.  The lawsuit is initially filed “under seal” (in secret), and the evidence is provided only to the prosecutor.  The prosecutor then investigates the case and decides whether to take it on.

The whistleblower who brings the case is entitled to a reward of between 15% and 30% of the amount recovered.  They are also entitled to legal protections against retaliation.

The amount of the whistleblower reward depends on the amount actually recovered by the government.  In this case, if the government recovered $5 million, then the whistleblower reward would be between $750,000 and $1.5 million.

Do not go to prison for your employer’s fraud.  If you know that false claims are being submitted to Medicare or Medicaid, consult with an experienced whistleblower attorney immediately to protect your rights, your livelihood, and your freedom.  The consultation is free and confidential.  No attorneys’ fees are charged unless you win. 

To arrange a free consultation with an experienced whistleblower attorney, call John Howley, Esq. at (212) 601-2728 or click here to reach us via email.  We will listen to you, explain how whistleblower rewards work, advise you on your rights, and explain your options.

John Howley, Esq.

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