New Bedford, Massachusetts – A dentist accepted a guilty plea to Medicaid fraud and several other charges related to the use of paper clips instead of stainless steel posts in root canals.
Dentist Michael Clair's other charges include defrauding 130-thousand dollars from Medicaid, assault and battery, illegally prescribing prescription drugs, and witness intimidation.
Although he was suspended in 2002 by Medicaid, he kept filing claims from 2003 to 2005 via the use of local area dentists' names.
His use of the paper clips in place of steel posts may possibly have caused pain and infection in some of his patients.
Update: Michael Clair has received a year in jail for his medical malfeasance. Prosecutors were hoping to get a sentence of five to seven years.
One victim's tooth turned black. The victim's mother, who witnessed Clair's sentencing was outraged the former dentist only got a year in prison. He was also ordered to stay away from his victims and seven of his employees.
"He put my kids in pain for months...I hope he rots there," she told reporters.
The reason for the light sentence was that he had, in Judge Richard Moses' words is "a lack of a criminal record and certain mental health issues" but didn't elaborate.
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