A Michigan dentist is charged with 131 counts of Medicaid fraud involving a dental crown scheme, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
Dr. Faddi S. Salim, 37, of Troy, is charged with one count of conducting a criminal enterprise and 131 counts of Medicaid fraud.
State prosecutors allege that Salim billed Medicaid for large numbers of unnecessary dental crown work on patients that was not provided.
Several of Salim’s patients who had many crowns billed under their benefits were notified that they were not covered for treatment because they had exhausted all of their annual benefits, prosecutors said.
Salim was arraigned on March 19 and given a $50,000 bond.
“Flagrant abuse of the Medicaid program diverts critical funds from patients in need,” Nessel said. “My office remains committed to investigating and prosecuting those responsible for fraudulent schemes.”
Salim had a…
MANAGEMENT & CULTURE (THE “TONE AT THE TOP”)
Fraud thrives in “sloppy” environments where leadership ignores the rules.
- The Fraud Triangle: For fraud to occur, three elements must be present: Pressure (the need for money), Rationalization (thinking “I deserve this”), and Opportunity (weak controls). You can only control the Opportunity.
- Whistleblower Hotline: Provide an anonymous way for staff to report “odd behavior.” Most internal frauds are caught via tips, not audits.
- Background Checks: Conduct credit and criminal record checks for all employees in financial or data-sensitive roles.
- Annual Ethics Training: Make sure every staff member knows that the company has a Zero Tolerance policy toward “borrowing” from petty cash or fudging overtime.