A Nigeria dentist, Dr. Oluwatoyin Solarin, has pleaded guilty to committing health care fraud in the United States. A statement issued online by the United States Department of Justice, indicated that Solarin, who owned and operated a flourishing dental clinic, Care Dental, with locations in Duluth and Doraville in Atlanta, allegedly filed false claims valued at almost $1m for treatments in her practice.
U.S. Attorney, John Horn noted in the statement that Solarin submitted the claims to the Georgia Medicaid Programme and the Peach State Health Plan of Georgia Medicaid between 2009 and 2013.
Horn said that Solarin had declared $996,862.19 in fraudulent health care claims, which was found to have mostly been used to buy real estate properties in Atlanta.
He said, “Various claims listed Solarin as the treating dentist on days that she was not even in the country. She billed for patients who were ineligible for Medicaid services even when their eligibility had expired.
“Solarin told an employee to backdate the claims so they would be paid. The costly effects of health care fraud affect every taxpayer in the state of Georgia, directing critical resources from those who truly need them.”
As part of the plea agreement, the statement said, Solarin would have to repay the money and forfeit her interest in properties acquired over the stated period.
The Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector-General in Atlanta, Derrick Jackson, said the dentist would be sentenced on February 3, 2017.
Jackson said, “Criminals such as Solarin, who engage in health care fraud and target the most vulnerable, are among the worst.”
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