A federal grand jury has indicted Oluwatoyin Solarin for filing false Medicaid claims, money laundering, and seeking to evade banking reporting requirements.
“Medicaid funds should benefit truly deserving members of society,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “When medical practitioners allegedly steal Medicaid funds for their own selfish benefit, this diverts scarce resources away from those who need them most.”
“Fighting Medicaid fraud is a top priority for my office,” said Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens. “Those that steal these funds will be prosecuted.”
“The OIG is committed to investigating all allegations of individuals who target the vulnerable and unsuspecting refugee community,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Office of Inspector General in Atlanta.
“The integrity of the medical profession must be protected from people like Dr. Solarin, who allegedly seek to illegally profit by pretending to provide legitimate medical services,” stated Veronica Hyman-Pillot, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Health care fraud diverts funds from individuals who legitimately need care. Through joint investigations such as this, we intend to continue to aggressively pursue those who steal from taxpayers and receive money that they are not entitled to.”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the indictment, a civil forfeiture complaint, and other information presented in court: Solarin was a dentist who ran “Care Dental,” a small dental franchise with offices in Doraville and Duluth, Georgia. Over a period of at least four years, Solarin allegedly submitted numerous false bills to the Georgia Medicaid Program that falsely claimed Solarin had performed dental procedures on Medicaid recipients.
The indictment alleges that on various dates that Solarin claimed she was treating Medicaid recipients, she was not even in the state of Georgia, and was sometimes overseas. Patients were seen at times by another dentist at Care Dental who Solarin knew was not permitted to file Medicaid claims. At other points, Solarin allegedly directed at least one employee to falsify service dates on Medicaid claims so that it would appear dental work was being done on dates that the patient was eligible for Medicaid.
Solarin also allegedly paid individuals to recruit Nepalese refugee children to come to Care Dental for dental services. Parents were not always consulted when these children were seen at Care Dental.
The indictment further alleges that Oluwatoyin Solarin, 45, Atlanta, Georgia, tried to mask financial transactions and also used the fraudulent proceeds for her own benefit. On various occasions during the course of this fraud scheme, Solarin made cash deposits into a bank account directly under $10,000, with the purpose of evading banking reporting requirements. Solarin used the proceeds of this scheme to purchase rental properties throughout the Atlanta area. In a separate civil forfeiture action, the government is seeking to forfeit Solarin’s interest in over a dozen real properties located throughout the state of Georgia.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.