PASADENA DENTIST CONVICTED OF MEDICAID FRAUD

(HOUSTON) – Dr. David Lloyd Gonzales Jr., a Pasadena dentist, has been convicted of Medicaid fraud following a seven-day trial, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today. 

A federal jury in Houston convicted Gonzales, 47, on 22 counts of health care fraud after approximately one day of deliberations. Evidence at trial showed that he knowingly billed for services he did not perform, including root canals, fillings and the extraction of impacted wisdom teeth.         

Gonzales became a Medicaid provider in 1994, but was suspended by Medicaid in 2005. Medicaid pays for dental services for eligible beneficiaries from infancy to age 21.

Previously released on bond, Gonzales will continue on bond until his sentencing hearing, which is set for Nov. 29, 2010. At that time, he faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a fine of not more than $250,000.

This case was the result of the investigative efforts of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Unit in Houston and the United States Attorney’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Bradley and Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Elmilady prosecuted the case for the government.

 

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