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Sentencing Delayed For Former Atmore Dentist Employee That Defrauded Insurance Companies
December 16, 2009
Sentencing has been delayed for a former dental office manager that pleaded guilty to defrauding tens of thousands of dollars from insurance companies.
Toni McMurphy, 54, pleaded guilty to health care fraud and mail fraud in federal court. She was scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Friday, but that sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Dubose has been delayed until March 5, 2010. She could face up to 20 years in prison, three years probation and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. However, the plea agreement states that federal prosecutors will seek a minimum allowable sentence of probation. She could also be ordered by the court to make restitution in the case.
In a written plea agreement, McMurphy admitted that while working for Buckley and Buckley Family Dentistry in Atmore between January 1, 2006, and November, 2008, she bilked about $45,000 from insurance companies by filing false claims for services never performed or by upgrading lower cost procedures to higher cost procedures.
“The insurance carriers would then send reimbursement checks to Buckley Family Dentistry to pay for the fraudulent claims,” McMurphy stated in her plea agreement. “I would then misapply said fraudulent proceeds, thereby allowing me to apply proceeds to different patients and to withdraw cash from Buckley Family Dentistry.”
The mail fraud charge stemmed from an incident in June, 2008, when McMurphy admitted that she filed a false claim with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama asking for reimbursement on behalf of a patient claiming that the dentist had extracted two of her teeth. Blue Cross and Blue Shield then mailed a payment for the services never performed to an Atmore post office box.
Comments
One Response to “Sentencing Delayed For Former Atmore Dentist Employee That Defrauded Insurance Companies”
in most cases plea agreements can be good if it helps serve justice to other criminals. in this case I do not see justice being served as there was only one defendant. The plea agreement, if upheld by the judge, will only dish out minimum punishment. I have seen others charged with less recieve more! we will have to wait and see what happens.