Dentist’s Aide Sentenced in $726,300 Health Care Scam

Nichol Lomack, aka Nichol Ramirez, 38, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for her role in a $726,300 healthcare fraud scheme that billed insurance carriers for unnecessary or unperformed dental work, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today.

The scheme, which spanned from 2001 until November 12, 2010, involved Lomack working for a dental practice owned and operated by Dr. David M. Lewis in Sacramento. Lomack was responsible for processing and submitting claims to insurance carriers for reimbursement for dental services provided by Lewis.

However, in 2008 or 2009, Lewis began targeting United Parcel Service Inc. employees for dental treatment, offering cash and other incentives to receive dental treatment or recruit other UPS employees. Lomack submitted claims to Delta Health Systems, the administrator of the UPS health care plan, for work that was never performed or for dental work that was unnecessary.

Lomack knew that the claims contained false statements when she submitted them to Delta. In furtherance of the scheme, Lewis and Lomack created false narratives for dental work and submitted claims with false X-rays, claiming that they depicted tooth decay that justified further restorative procedures.

Lomack’s actions not only resulted in the loss of $726,300 but also inflicted pain and suffering on patients by performing unnecessary dental procedures. ‘This defendant assisted in a fraud scheme that plundered funds meant to provide essential services and inflicted pain on patients,’ said Acting U.S. Attorney Talbert.

Lomack was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay $726,300 in restitution. Dr. Lewis was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison, fined $75,000, and ordered to pay $726,300 in restitution. The cases were the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, with assistance from the California Dental Board and the California Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles prosecuted the cases.