Joplin dentist sentenced for Medicaid fraud

Joplin dentist Samuel Miller was sentenced Monday for 13 counts of Medicaid fraud.

Miller, who was prosecuted by the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and Attorney General Chris Koster's Fraud Control Unit, received a suspended sentence of four years in prison for stealing from the state Medicaid program, and will be ordered to repay $550,000. Miller also received five years probation.

According to a news release from the attorney general's office, Miller – who primarily saw children in the Joplin area – submitted fraudulent billings for procedures including X-rays, root canals and composite restorations that he didn't perform.

He tried to conceal the false claims by falsifying dental records, including physically cutting off portions of records and moving X-rays from one file to another. Miller came under investigation after an area citizen reported her suspicions about fraudulent practices.

"This kind of illegal conduct denies medical resources that would otherwise be directed to needy Missourians,” Koster said in the release.

Miller has been ordered to repay the $550,000 he illegally gained from the state; he submitted a cashier's check for $300,000 at sentencing, according to the release, and must pay the remaining money within 60 days.[[In-content Ad]]