Queens dentist arrested over allegedly unperformed Medicaid procedures
Oct 11, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0176 · Published 2026-10-11 · Version 4 · Pending litigation
New York charged dentist Suleman Nasimi and Tooth Fresh Meadows over alleged Medicaid billing for procedures never performed. Prosecutors describe claims during office closures and overseas travel, and patients denied approval because their records showed prior treatment. The charges remain unproven.
What happened
New York’s September 28 announcement reports the arrest of Suleman Nasimi and separate forty-count felony complaints against him and Tooth Fresh Meadows. Prosecutors allege more than $300,000 in Medicaid billing for hundreds of unperformed dental procedures between January 1, 2020, and August 31, 2024. The alleged procedures included root canals and porcelain crowns affecting at least 35 Medicaid recipients. The charges include grand larceny, healthcare fraud and offering false instruments for filing.
The Attorney General alleges that more than $140,000 was billed in July 2022 alone during periods when the office was closed and Nasimi was traveling in Europe. The alleged harm extends beyond reimbursement: some patients were denied prior approval for needed care elsewhere because Medicaid records already showed the procedures as performed. Those assertions connect claim accuracy with future access to treatment, not merely an accounting discrepancy. The defendants are presumed innocent. The announcement’s possible prison range is contingent on conviction and should not be presented as a sentence already imposed.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Pending litigation
- Applicability
- Operationally relevant
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- New York
Why it matters
An unsupported paid claim can affect both program funds and later treatment authorization for the patient. The allegations make clinician availability, encounter evidence and correction of inaccurate treatment histories connected control issues.
Recommended action
Match dental claims to signed clinical records and practitioner availability; investigate claims during absences.
Case details
- agencies
- New York Attorney General
- entities
- Suleman Nasimi, Tooth Fresh Meadows
- action Type
- Criminal charge
- event Date
- 2026-09-28
- alleged Conduct
- The September 28 announcement alleges more than $300,000 in Medicaid claims for dental procedures not performed, including dates the dentist was overseas. Charges remain unproven.
- resolution
- Charges or complaint pending; no determination of guilt or liability.
Operational lessons
- Match dental claims to signed clinical records and practitioner availability; investigate claims during absences.
Sources
- Queens dentist arrested over allegedly unperformed Medicaid proceduresOfficial · HHS OIG, official enforcement announcement · 2026-09-28 · Source review 2026-10-11
- New York Attorney General, Nasimi dental Medicaid arrest and chargesOfficial · New York Attorney General · 2026-09-28 · Source review 2026-10-14
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