Westside Dentist Heads To Prison

LOS ANGELES, CA — A west Los Angeles dentist was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in federal prison for a health-care insurance fraud scheme in which he submitted phony billings for crowns and fillings that were never actually provided to patients.

Benjamin Rosenberg, 59, pleaded guilty in January to a single federal count of health care fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In addition to the prison time, U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt ordered Rosenberg to pay more than $1.4 million in restitution.

In his plea agreement, Rosenberg, who had an office on Sepulveda Boulevard, admitted that he submitted about $3.8 million in false and fraudulent claims to various insurance companies for dental care he knew had not been provided.

Rosenberg admitted that he submitted the bogus claims to Metlife, Anthem, Cigna and other insurance companies, causing the carriers to pay him about $1.4 million, according to his plea agreement.

City News Service