PRESS RELEASE – A dentist from Mira Mesa in San Diego is facing up to 75 billing fraud charges.
Dr. April Rose Ambrosio is being ordered to halt her medical practices by a judge because of the scam she has allegedly been running for three years out of her dental office.
Her 75 counts of billing fraud total up to about $600,000. She was ordered to halt her practice Tuesday while her case makes its way through court.
Deputy Attorney General Tory Polin of the licensing division asked the judge to suspend Dr. Ambrosio’s ability to work. Then, commented that they hadn’t sought this course of action before because the outcome could have inhibited or halted the case of the criminal charges.
Dr. Ambrosio’s attorney, Kerry Armstrong, asked that she be allowed to continue earning her living but that someone else handle the billing.
Mr. Armstrong claims that Dr. Ambrosio is not a bad dentist and so she shouldn’t be barred from making her living.
Mr. Armstrong also cited that she is still seeing 50 patients even after the charges were filed.
Judge Polly Shamoon was not persuaded and commented that she was concerned Dr. Ambrosio would do an unnecessary procedure just to benefit her.
Judge Shamoon said that Dr. Ambrosio made seven different billings for procedures that were never done.
Dr. Ambrosio pleaded not guilty to all charges.
According to court documents, an insurance company filed a suspected fraud form in 2016 based on a large number of root canals for one family.
Investigators from the State Department of Insurance in cooperation with the insurance fraud division of the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office investigated Dr. Ambrosio for two years.
Source: San Diego Tribune