Northville dentist Demetra C. Kazanis, DDS, is facing a mountain of felony charges after state prosecutors said she overbilled Michigan’s Medicaid program for dental work that either never happened or was exaggerated on paper. The 55-year-old was arraigned Thursday in East Lansing’s 54B District Court on 43 felony counts: 42 counts of Medicaid fraud and one count of conducting a criminal enterprise. She was released on a $50,000 personal bond and is scheduled for a probable cause conference on June 5, followed by a preliminary examination on June 11.
According to The Oakland Press, the Michigan Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division brought the case, alleging Kazanis submitted claims tied to routine restorative work and "preventive resin restorations" that were allegedly billed at higher levels than the care provided. The outlet reports that the matter is being handled by the state’s Health Care Fraud Division.
Clinic ties
Kazanis is listed on the Livonia staff page for New You Dental Center, which advertises that it accepts Medicaid coverage. Her provider listing appears on the New You Dental Center website.
Court calendar and bond
The Oakland Press reports that Kazanis was arraigned in 54B District Court in East Lansing and released on a $50,000 personal bond that required no cash or surety. Court records list her next hearings as a probable cause conference next Friday and a preliminary examination on June 11. Prosecutors will use the preliminary exam to argue whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial.
State enforcement push
The Michigan Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division, the state’s federally certified Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, handled the investigation and notes that it receives substantial federal grant support, according to the Michigan Attorney General's office. The office has filed other high-count cases against medical providers this spring, including an April indictment of a Macomb County dentist accused in a racketeering-style Medicaid scheme, as described in a separate release from the Michigan Attorney General's office. Taken together, those cases highlight the division’s current focus on alleged billing fraud across Michigan.
Penalties and next steps
Under Michigan law, a Medicaid-fraud conviction can carry a penalty of up to four years in prison per count, according to FindLaw. The charge of conducting a criminal enterprise has been treated in case law as carrying a statutory maximum of up to 20 years behind bars and substantial fines, as reflected in state court opinions summarized on Justia. Kazanis remains presumed innocent as the early stages of the criminal case play out in court.
