Former Dentist who stole over $8 million from Maryland medicaid sentenced

A former dentist will now spend 18 month behind bars.

Seyed Hamid Tofigh, 57, a former dentist who stole more than $8.6 million from Maryland medicaid, was sentenced following a probation violation.

“People who knowingly break the law over cannot avoid the consequences," said Attorney General Brown. “This former dentist had already put his young patients at risk and was trying to return to practicing dentistry again without a license, which would have put the public in danger.

Back in February, Tofigh plead guilty to one count of defrauding a state health plan and one count of practicing dentistry without a license.

Officials say the dentist practiced dentistry on Medicaid recipients, almost exclusively children, using the names, provider numbers and professional credentials of licensed dentists to submit claims for payment.

He was originally sentenced to 18 months home detention.

Tofigh was forbidden from providing health care services while on home detention, but almost immediately began to apply for dentistry positions at practices in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C.

During one application, he indicated that he didn't have a criminal conviction and no action had ever been taken against his professional license.