July 6, 2006

Hempstead School Board Member Indicted

40-count indictment against Grant accuses dentist of theft, insurance fraud, falsifying records

MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that a Grand Jury has indicted Terry Grant, 48, of Hempstead, on two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony; Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a Class E felony; Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a Class E felony; 24 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, Class E felony; 7 counts of Insurance Fraud in the Fourth Degree Class E felony; two counts of Insurance Fraud in the Fifth Degree, Class A misdemeanor; Attempted Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, Class A misdemeanor; Petit Larceny, Class A misdemeanor; and Attempted Petit Larceny, Class B misdemeanor.

The charges stem from Mr. Grant’s dentistry practice, Gentle Dental in Hempstead.

Mr. Grant was initially charged in November 2005 with two counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a Class E felony.  At his arraignment today, Judge Carter continued Mr. Grant’s bail status of $1,000, posted in November 2005.  Judge Carter added the condition of probationary supervision while Mr. Grant remains out on bail. 

“His business is rife with fraud and our investigation is continuing,” said Rice.  “These are very serious charges leveled against a professional in this community and someone who relies on the public trust to sit on the school board.  I take any violation of the public trust very seriously and this investigation will reflect that.”

The indictment alleges Mr. Grant has over the last several years submitted dental claims to insurance companies certifying that he had performed certain work that he did not in fact provide, and, in various cases, claiming to have done certain work on patients on dates when they were not even at his office.  Relying upon these falsified claims, various insurance companies paid Terry Grant thousands of dollars to which he was not entitled. 

With respect to one patient alone, Grant wrongfully collected $3,024 from GE Group Life Assurance Company, the insurance company that provides dental insurance coverage for employees of the Hempstead School District, based upon a false claim to GE.  He did this after billing and being paid by two other insurance companies for the same claimed treatment prior to the patient even being covered by GE.  In order to obtain further monies, Grant falsely stated to GE that he had rendered this treatment at a time well after the patient had stopped seeing him. 

With respect to the additional patients noted in the indictment, Grant wrongfully obtained a total of approximately $6,000 more under their insurance policies, most of which was paid by GE Group Life Assurance Company.  With respect to one of these patients, Grant falsely claimed that he had treated her in the prior calendar year in order to tap into the yearly allowed dental benefits that she had not used at the designated time and to which he was not entitled.  He furthermore falsely claimed that he had treated her daughter when he had not actually done so.  With respect to another patient, Grant fabricated treatments and treatment dates with respect to the patient’s wife on dental claim forms.  With respect to various other patients, Grant claimed to have rendered additional treatments that they never in fact received from him, including a treatment called “scaling and root planing,” which Grant routinely billed for but did not in fact provide in many cases.  Various patients were prevented from later receiving needed treatment from other dentists because Grant had already falsely billed their insurance companies up to their yearly allowable maximum or billed their insurance companies for services that he had clearly not rendered, such as the creation and insertion of bridges.  In the case of one patient, Grant wrongfully collected $2,000 from GE Group Life Assurance Company by falsely representing that he had placed a bridge in her mouth, when neither he nor any other provider had done so.

In various instances, insurance companies requested that Grant send documentation supporting his claims for payment with respect to several patients.  In three cases, Grant sent false documentation to the insurance companies in an effort to defraud them and conceal his thefts.  Such false documentation included fabricated chart notes and patient intake forms bearing altered dates.  Upon the execution of a search warrant at Grant’s office, DA investigators found numerous patient files containing Xray films from which the dates had been removed.   

Upon reviewing the supporting documentation sent for some of Grant’s claims and communicating with several patients, GE Group Life Assurance Company denied various claims submitted by Grant for claimed 2005 services which would have otherwise resulted in the payment of more monies to Grant.

ADA Christine Sullivan of the District Attorney’s Special Investigations Bureau is handling the case.  Mr. Grant is being represented by Henry Kutner Jr., Esq.  Mr. Grant will appear in court July 20 in front of Judge George Peck.