Steven A. Price, a dentist based in Washington, D.C., and Keidi C. Moore, a dental hygienist from Temple Hills, Maryland, were found guilty in U.S. District Court of conspiring to defraud the D.C. Medicaid program of $4 million. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
After more than a week of jury deliberation, both defendants were convicted on charges including conspiracy, health care fraud, false statements, and wire fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for June 29 and June 30, 2026, before Judge Amit P. Mehta.
Price operated the Washington Smile Center in Northwest Washington where Moore was employed as a dental hygienist.
“Price and Moore stole $4 million from a program designed to help people in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office is intent on cutting fraud, waste, and abuse by prosecuting those—like Price and Moore—who steal from government programs to line their own pockets.”
Evidence presented at trial showed that between January 2017 and March 2022, Price and Moore submitted repeated claims to D.C. Medicaid for clinical crown lengthening procedures and space maintainers that were not actually performed. Some patients were listed as having received more than 30 clinical crown lengthening procedures or over 20 space maintainers within several years. These false claims resulted in payments totaling over $4 million from D.C. Medicaid.
Wire fraud charges carry up to 20 years in prison; conspiracy and health care fraud charges carry up to 10 years each; making false statements relating to a health care matter carries up to five years. Additional financial penalties may also apply. The final sentence will be determined by the court using advisory Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory factors.
The announcement was made with FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
The investigation involved the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Sarah Ranney prosecuted the case with support from Paralegal Specialist Carlos Jiminez Guzman.
