UTICA, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Attorney General's office charged 37-year-old Dr. Faddi Salim with one count of conducting a criminal enterprise and 131 counts of Medicaid fraud.
Watch Evan Sery's video report:
The Utica dentist is accused of cashing in on clients receiving government benefits by billing for dental crowns that were unnecessary or never provided.
Each count of Medicaid fraud is punishable by up to 4 years in prison, while conducting a criminal enterprise is a 20-year felony.
The AG's office says Dr. Salim, "repeatedly billed the taxpayer-funded Medicaid program for a large number of crowns on individual patients that were both unnecessary and never provided
The attorney general's office said the alleged fraud was discovered when patients tried to get needed treatment.
"Patients who allegedly had many crowns billed under their benefits were subsequently told they were not covered for needed treatment because their annual benefits were exhausted," the Attorney General's office said.
The Attorney General's office is asking former patients who believe they may have been billed for crowns or other services that were never provided to contact them.
Salim was arraigned on March 19 in East Lansing and granted a $50,000 personal bond. He is scheduled to be back in court next month.
When I went to Salim's Utica office, a secretary told me they were closed, and he would be back on Monday. Salim later sent a statement regarding the charges.
"I want to be clear: my office operates with strict adherence to all legal and insurance standards. We hold ourselves to a high level of accountability, and our priority has always been delivering exceptional care to our patients, both locally and from out-of-state. I’m confident that the full facts will come to light, and I look forward to speaking more openly, and provide more details once this process is resolved," Salim said.
7 News Detroit previously spoke to Salim in 2020 when his office donated thousands of masks to a local hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Since we’re closed, we felt like there are more people in need of these masks so we donated to them," Salim said.
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