Dentist found guilty of damaging patients' teeth to boost profits

[Jilly_in_VA]

A Wisconsin dentist was found guilty of healthcare fraud and other charges after he intentionally damaged his patients’ teeth to boost profits, raking in millions from his scheme.

Scott Charmoli, 61, was convicted of five counts of healthcare fraud and two counts of making false claims about his clients’ treatment last Thursday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

With his sentencing scheduled for June, Charmoli faces up to 10 years for each healthcare fraud charge and a maximum of five years for each of the two other charges.

Prosecutors say that Charmoli had routinely drilled or broken his clients’ teeth on purpose, charging them for additional treatment services to fix the damage he had just done. As a result, Charmoli’s profits ballooned, with the dentist going from making $1.4m and installing 434 crowns in 2014 to $2.5m in 2015, installing over 1,000 crowns.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/16/wisconsin-dentist-guilty-damaging-patients-teeth-boost-profits

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Don't get me started

Professionals of any stripe without independent oversight are suspect in my mind. Roofers and mechanics too.

I had a roof vent leak. Rubber seal dried out. $250 to pull the shingles and replace the vent.

Now I see rubber vent caps ... just slip it over and snug it down ... they're about $15. At one of the big box building products companies.

[Tetrachloride]

2. Grafton, Wisconsin

Not only a red county featuring Wisconsin’s worst legislators, but an unfortunate pun.

Graft-town

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/federal-jury-finds-grafton-dentist-guilty-healthcare-fraud-and-false-statements

[AllyCat]

3. Figures. Isn't that where the pharmacist was from who deliberately sabotaged vaccines

Against Covid when it first came out? Seems like it was reported New Year’s Eve of 2020 when vaccine was incredibly difficult to get.

Bunch of red voters in that county.

[Tetrachloride]

4. Good memory. I forgot about that guy

[TeamProg]

5. There are assholes in every cross-section of society. n/t