A federal jury has convicted a Washington dentist and his longtime hygienist of steering more than $4 million in bogus dental claims to D.C.'s Medicaid program, prosecutors say. The bills covered procedures that were never performed on patients, and the verdict caps a multi-year case centered on the Washington Smile Center.
As reported by DC News Now, the jury deliberated for more than a week before finding Dr. Steven A. Price, 66, and hygienist Keidi C. Moore, 37, guilty of conspiracy, health care fraud, false statements and wire fraud. Prosecutors say the alleged scheme ran from January 2017 through March 2022 and involved repeated billing for the same procedures across many patients. The guilty verdict was returned Thursday in federal court in Washington.
Prosecutors say they billed for crown lengthening and space maintainers
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Price operated the Washington Smile Center and Moore worked there while the pair submitted claims for two CDT codes: clinical crown lengthening and space maintainers. Court documents allege that in some instances patients were shown as receiving more than 30 crown lengthening procedures and more than 20 space maintainers, which prosecutors say produced more than $4 million in improper Medicaid payments. The indictment and press release note the applicable statutory maximums: conspiracy and wire fraud can carry up to 20 years in prison, health care fraud up to 10 years, and false statements up to five years.
Jury deliberations and sentencing
The jury took over a week to reach its decision, following testimony from patients, billing experts and investigators, DC News Now reports. Federal court filings show sentencing hearings are scheduled for June 29 and June 30, 2026. Those hearings will determine any prison terms, fines and forfeiture tied to the case.
Investigators and prosecutors
Federal authorities including the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General led the probe, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says in its release. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Anne McNamara. Prosecutors also included a forfeiture allegation seeking proceeds of the alleged scheme.
Bigger picture: enforcement on health-care fraud
Enforcement actions against health-care billing fraud have been a national priority in recent years; a 2025 nationwide takedown charged hundreds of defendants and prevented billions in fraudulent payments, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That push has put data-driven investigators on the lookout for anomalous billing patterns in dental and medical clinics that serve Medicaid patients. Local residents and taxpayers now wait to see what sentences and restitution the court will impose.
