Carlos Armin Morales-Ryan, DDS, 45, and his wife, orthodontist Nelia Patricia Garcia-Morales, DDS, 42, of Laredo, TX, have pleaded guilty to making false statements on bills to Texas Medicaid.
Drs. Morales-Ryan and Garcia-Morales owned and operated Orthogenesis International Centre, a dentistry and orthodontics business, and a substantial portion of their business was targeted toward Medicaid-eligible children.
Medicaid regulations required them to be in their offices when services are provided to Medicaid patients.
Dr. Morales-Ryan has admitted that though he and his wife were in Hawaii on or about October 12, 2007, he falsely represented to Medicaid that he performed an evaluation and management of a new patient on that date. Dr. Garcia-Morales has also admitted she falsely represented to Medicaid that she performed an orthodontic retention on March 23, 2007 when she and her husband were en route to the U.S. from the Virgin Islands.
As a result of their plea agreements, they will be sentenced to five years' probation and will pay $686,545 to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission-Office of Inspector General.
Dr. Morales-Ryan currently is not licensed to practice dentistry in Texas due to another unrelated criminal proceeding.
