Former Maryland Dentist Sentenced to Jail for Probation Violations

BALTIMORE, MD/Panjab Post
Seyed Hamid Tofigh, a 57-year-old ex-dentist from Potomac, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for breaching his probation, announced Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. This decision comes after Judge Carol Ann Corderre of the Prince George’s County Circuit Court found Tofigh in violation of the terms set during his previous home detention sentence.
“Toffigh’s blatant disregard for the law and his attempts to resume practicing dentistry without a license highlight the importance of holding offenders accountable,” stated Attorney General Brown. “The court’s decision reinforces that breaking the law has real consequences.”
In February 2024, Tofigh admitted to defrauding Maryland’s Medicaid program out of over $8.5 million and to practicing dentistry without a license. The conviction followed a scheme where he used the credentials of licensed dentists to fraudulently claim payments for services he provided to Medicaid recipients, predominantly children. His original sentence included 18 months of home detention, with 3.5 years suspended, and 5 years of probation.
Despite these restrictions, Tofigh attempted to secure dentistry positions across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, using a forged dental license. He also applied for a DC dental license with falsified records, omitting his criminal background. Additionally, he violated probation terms by leaving his home without authorization and failing to provide necessary verification for his absences.
Attorney General Brown commended the efforts of Assistant Attorneys General Catherine Schuster Pascale and James M.C. McHale, along with the dedicated team from the Medicaid Fraud and Vulnerable Victims Unit, including Senior Investigative Auditor Todd Sheffer, Senior Fraud Analyst Shannon Beatty, Fraud Analyst Gordon Carew, and Senior Fraud Analyst Paul Kidd. He also acknowledged the support of the Office of Inspector General’s Health and Human Services team and the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore.
The Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Vulnerable Victims Unit operates with 75% of its funding from a $6,057,128 federal grant for FY 2024, with the remaining 25% provided by the State of Maryland.