NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A “fugitive” ex-dentist who fled to Afghanistan from Long Island after he was arrested for treating patients with a revoked license has been sentenced to prison, the state attorney general’s office said Wednesday.
Dawer Nadi, 63, was convicted of fraudulently overbilling Medicaid for dental services back in March 2005, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a press release Wednesday.
In January 2011, his New York dental license was revoked in connection with the conviction, but he continued to treat Medicaid patients on Long Island, the release said.
Nadi was arrested and charged for continuing to practice in 2012, but he fled to Afghanistan and set up another dental practice there as he was awaiting trial, according to the release.
He was rearrested at JFK Airport in March of last year, when he tried to return to New York state as the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading, the release said.
A judge handed down a 4 ⅓- to 10-year prison sentence to him on Wednesday after he was convicted of grand larceny, unauthorized practice of dentistry and filing false Medicaid claims last month, James said. He has also been slapped with a $27,768.42 restitution fine.
“For years, Nadi used New York’s Medicaid program as his personal piggybank and provided dental services without a medical license,” James said in a statement. “He attempted to evade accountability, but today, the justice system has finally caught up with him.”
Nadi’s attorney information wasn’t immediately available Wednesday.
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