Dentist convicted of breaking teeth in fraud scheme (UPDATE)

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Grafton dentist has been convicted of health care fraud for breaking patients’ teeth and then claiming they needed crowns in an insurance scam.

Scott Charmoli, 61, was indicted in late 2020 on eight counts. After a four-day trial in Milwaukee federal court, a jury found him guilty on seven counts — five fraud charges related to four patients, and two charges of making false statements related to two of the same patients, according to the Journal Sentinel. He faces up to 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced in June.

He also faces medical malpractice lawsuits in Washington County, brought by nearly 100 former patients. Those cases have been stayed pending the outcome of the federal prosecution.

According to U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling’s office, starting in 2015 Charmoli started selling patients on the need for crown procedures. He then broke their teeth with a drill and took pictures of the damage he caused. He sent the images to insurance companies to support his request for reimbursement for the crown work.

The companies assumed the damage was pre-procedure and paid the claim, Frohling’s office said. Evidence showed that he performed more than 700 crown procedures annually between 2015 and 2019 and billed more than $4.2 million for the work between 2016 and 2019.

Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected to say Charmoli was indicted in late 2020 on eight counts by a federal grand jury. After a four-day trial in Milwaukee federal court, a jury found him guilty on seven counts. Also, Charmoli faces 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in June. The Law Journal regrets the errors.