DC Dentist Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Scheme to Defraud DC Medicaid of $3.4 Million
WASHINGTON (September 17, 2026) – Today, Steven A. Price, 70, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced in US District Court to 24 months in prison for conspiring to defraud DC Medicaid of $3.4 million, announced US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Fraud against taxpayer‑funded programs will not be ignored, excused, or allowed to persist in the dark. Mr. Price is going to prison and is ordered to pay $3.4 million in restitution. The days when individuals could hide behind complex billing schemes to steal from the American taxpayer are over. My office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who abuse the public’s trust and ensure they are held fully accountable.”
In March 2026, after a 6-week trial overseen by District Judge Amit P. Mehta, a federal jury found Price guilty of 21 counts including charges of conspiracy. health care fraud, false statements, and wire fraud. In addition to Price’s prison sentence of 24 months followed by 36 months of supervised release, the Court ordered Price to pay restitution of $3.4 million to DC Medicaid and entered a criminal forfeiture money judgment. The government requested a 108-month prison term. Moore is scheduled to be sentenced by the Court on October 23, 2026.
Price is a dentist who operated the Washington Smile Center in Northwest Washington. His codefendant, Keidi Moore, 40, was employed at the Washington Smile Center as a dental hygienist and was also found guilty by the jury.
According to court papers, Price and Moore treated many elderly and disabled patients. Beginning in January 2017 and continuing through March 2022, Price and Moore conspired to defraud DC Medicaid by filing fraudulent claims for clinical crown lengthening and space maintainers, when in fact the patients had not received the procedures or devices. Price and Moore included the false claims alongside procedures during actual patient visits. DC Medicaid paid out more than $3.4 million for the fraudulent claims. In some instances, patients were alleged to have been provided more than 30 clinical crown lengthening procedures and more than 20 space maintainers during the relevant period. As soon as DC Medicaid put in a pre-authorization requirement for the clinical crown lengthening procedure the false billing for both types of claims stopped.
“Today’s sentencing underscores our unwavering commitment to serving the American people, safeguarding taxpayer money, and preserving the integrity of the federal health care programs that support them,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “Such schemes waste public funds and undermine trust in the Medicaid program. HHS-OIG, in close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue efforts to identify and hold accountable individuals who exploit federally funded health care programs for personal benefit.”
Joining in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Matthew Wilcoxson, Interim Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The District Department of Health Care Finance’s Division of Program Integrity referred this matter and provided assistance during the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Diane Lucas and Sarah Ranney.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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