Month: August 2018

Embezzlement News #73 September 2018

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #74 — September 2018
Embezzler of the Month
Prosperident’s Sonya Hudson’s work helped nail this embezzler, and ensure her place in our “Half-Million Dollar Club”.
 
Ontario’s Jennifer Leslie has been charged with embezzling $554,000 from a dental practice for which she was the office manager.
Read about Jennifer, along with many other embezzlers, in our Hall of Shame HERE.
No boring speakers here!
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Sep 7 Patterson Dental, Houston TX
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & District Dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 13 Benco Leadership Day, Houston TX
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 24 Seattle Study Club, Rochester NY
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Oct 27 Law Enforcement Investigation and Prosecution Group, Columbia MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Huntersville NC
2019
Jan 18 Patterson Dental, San Diego CA
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Irving TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Feb 11 Wasatch Oral Surgery, Jordan UT
Apr 12 American Association of Endodontists, Montreal QC
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 4 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
Sep 13 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Investigator Profile
Sonya Hudson, Senior Investigator
Sonya is one of Prosperident’s “top guns”.
Before joining Prosperident in 2014, Sonya worked for an insurance company and managed the support department of a major brand of practice management software.
In many ways Sonya sets the standard for investigative work at Prosperident; her meticulous notes and highly organized workflow get frequent mention when we are training new examiners.
Recently, Sonya’s work led to the arrest of Jennifer Leslie (see the story in this newsletter), who is charged with embezzling over $500k from her doctor.
Sonya has caught more than her share of embezzlers, and we congratulate her on hooking another “big fish.”
Sonya’s colleagues at Prosperident include 15 specialized investigators who, on a daily basis, provide a level of skill and dedication that is simply unparalleled.
Something To Talk About…

 

And so it begins.
For many of us, our “New Year” actually starts in September. Fall’s shorter days, cooler nights and the start of a new school year, also coincide with the beginning of a continuing education year for many of you. As summer fades and we settle into our fall routines, many of us here at Prosperident feel a sense of renewal, and an exciting and fresh opportunity to connect on a more meaningful level with the fantastic dental community we are so privileged to serve.
This summer was a full one here at Prosperident. We busied ourselves with onboarding new team members including investigators, Office Protection System specialists and educational speakers, while our IT team continued the development of software that makes the work we do for you more efficient and faster to deliver.
Probably the most exciting news we have to share with you is that we have continued developing our Office Protection System (OPS) Service, as well as our OPS Multi-Office Service, with the addition of more OPS Specialists, carefully selected and trained to assist you and get your practice set up even faster!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this service, OPS is a complete and thorough diagnostic review of your practice’s policies, procedures, and systems performed by one of our OPS Specialists, with a view to identifying and correcting the weaknesses that could be exploited by an embezzler. Your assigned OPS Specialist will focus on over 25 of what we consider to be the most important policies and procedures, essential to a healthy, well-functioning practice. Based on our specialist’s in-depth review, we make recommendations on what areas we feel need upgrading, elimination, and restructuring to make your office the most efficient and productive place for you to earn your living. OPS provides you with peace of mind, by ensuring that you have the right office systems in place, and that staff compliance with your policies is measurable. OPS is not software, but it is the most advanced protection system available, designed by Prosperident, specifically for dentistry. We would like to invite you to visit our website to find out more.
So, welcome September! The Prosperident team and I would like to wish you and yours a happy and prosperous “New Year.”
David Harris
CEO
 
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts

 

Another Maryland woman indicted for embezzlement

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What is is about Maryland these days?  We seem to be seeing an unusual number of embezzlement matters there.

Our next “subject” is Cherie Tracey-Shreve, who sometimes goes by Cherie Shreve.  Interestingly, it appears that she knows another Maryland embezzler, Kristi Heffington (read about Kristi HERE).

Cherie was recently indicted in Maryland.  Here is the text of the indictment:

STATE OF MARYLAND, Prince George’s County, to wit:

COUNT 1
THE GRAND JURORS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR THE BODY OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY ON THEIR OATH DO PRESENT THAT CHERIE LYNN SHREVE, BETWEEN THE DATES OF DECEMBER 4, 2014, AND DECEMBER 19, 2014, DID PRESENT, CAUSE TO BE PRESENTED AND ASSITED IN THE PRESENTATION TO CAREFIRST BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD, AN INSURER, DOCUMENTS AND STATEMENTS MADE IN SUPPORT OF A CLAIM WITH A VALUE GREATER THAN $300 KNOWING THAT THE DOCUMENTS AND STATEMENTS CONTAINED FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT A MATTER MATERIAL TO THE CLAIM, IN VIOLATION OF 27-403 OF THE INSURANCE ARTICLE, AGAINST THE PEACE, GOVERNMENT AND DIGNITY OF THE STATE. (FALSE/MISLEADING INFO FRAUD -$300)

COUNT 2
THE GRAND JURORS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR THE BODY OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY ON THEIR OATH DO PRESENT THAT CHERIE LYNN SHREVE, BETWEEN DECEMBER 4, 2014, AND MARCH 30, 2015, DID CONSPIRE WITH KRISTI HEFFINGTON TO COMMIT INSURANCE FRAUD, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY TO PREPARE FALSE DOCUMENTS AND STATEMENTS TO BE PRESENTED TO CAREFIRST BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD IN REGARDS TO CLAIMS FOR DENTAL BENEFITS WITH A VALUE GREATER THAN $300, IN VIOLATION OF THE COMMON LAW OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND, AGAINST THE PEACE, GOVERNMENT AND DIGNITY OF THE STATE. (CONSPIRE TO COMMIT INSURANCE FRAUD)

COUNT 3
THE GRAND JURORS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR THE BODY OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY ON THEIR OATH DO PRESENT THAT CHERIE LYNN SHREVE, BETWEEN THE DATES OF DECEMBER 4, 2014, AND FEBRUARY 4, 2015, PURSUANT TO ONE SCHEME AND CONTINUING COURSE OF CONDUCT, CONSPIRE WITH KRISTI HEFFINGTON TO STEAL CURRENCY OF CAREFIRST BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD HAVING A VALUE OF AT LEAST $10,000 BUT LESS THAN $100,000, IN VIOLATION OF CR 7-104 OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND, AGAINST THE PEACE, GOVERNMENT AND DIGNITY OF THE STATE. (CONSPIRE – THEFT-SCHEME: $10,000 TO UNDER $100,000)

COUNT 4
THE GRAND JURORS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR THE BODY OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY ON THEIR OATH DO PRESENT THAT CHERIE LYNN SHREVE ON OR ABOUT THE 19th DAY OF DECEMBER, 2014, DID FORGE, CAUSE TO BE FORGED AND AIDED AND ASSISTED IN THE FORGING OF THE ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE OF DR. RONALD MOSER ON A CLAIM PRESENTED TO CAREFIRST BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD IN VIOLATION OF THE COMMON LAW OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND, AGAINST THE PEACE, GOVERNMENT AND DIGNITY OF THE STATE. (FORGERY)

COUNT 5
THE GRAND JURORS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR THE BODY OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY ON THEIR OATH DO PRESENT THAT CHERIE LYNN SHREVE ON OR ABOUT THE 19TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2014, DID UTTER AND PUBLISH AND ASSIST IN THE UTTERING AND PUBLISHING OF A FORGED SIGNATURE OF DR. RONALD MOSER ON A CLAIM SUBMITTED TO CAREFIRST BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD IN VIOLATION OF THE COMMON LAW OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND, AGAINST THE PEACE, GOVERNMENT AND DIGNITY OF THE STATE. (UTTERING A FORGED INSTRUMENT)

COUNT 6
THE GRAND JURORS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR THE BODY OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY ON THEIR OATH DO PRESENT THAT CHERIE LYNN SHREVE ON OR ABOUT THE 19th DAY OF DECEMBER, 2014, DID ASSUME THE IDENTITY OF DR. RONALD MOSER TO FILE CLAIM WITH CAREFIRST BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD, IN VIOLATION OF 8 -301 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND, AGAINST THE PEACE, GOVERNMENT AND DIGNITY OF THE STATE. (ASSUMING IDENTITY OF ANOTHER)

COUNT 7
THE GRAND JURORS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR THE BODY OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY ON THEIR OATH DO PRESENT THAT CHERIE LYNN SHREVE ON OR ABOUT THE 22nd DAY OF DECEMBER, 2014, DID STEAL CURRENY OF CAREFIRST BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD HAVING A VALUE OF LESS THAN $1,000 IN VIOLATION OF CR 7-104 OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND, AGAINST THE PEACE, GOVERNMENT AND DIGNITY OF THE STATE. (THEFT: LESS $1,000 VALUE)

____________________________________
ASSISTANT STATE’S ATTORNEY FOR
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MARYLAND

Former OKC surgical center employee, facing embezzlement charges, suspected in more patient thefts

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OKLAHOMA CITY – A former surgical center employee, charged earlier this year with embezzling a patient’s refund, is suspected of doing the same to more than 30 other patients to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars, according to recently filed court records.

Erin Marie Bokemper, 31, of Midwest City, was charged in March with felony embezzlement and computer crimes after a patient at Oral and Maxillofacial Associates, 3601 NW 138th St., reported she never received her $1,000 refund after backing out of a planned procedure.

“A patient had contacted them and said they were supposed to be refunded a certain amount of money and for whatever reason the money didn’t make it to the patient,” said Oklahoma City police spokesperson Officer Megan Morgan. “They discovered that the employee had set it up to where that money was sent to her personal account, rather than to the patient.”

Bokemper, who was employed as a customer service representative, is scheduled to appear in Oklahoma County court in that case next month. However, new search warrant filings and police records show Bokemper’s alleged diversion of patient dollars extends beyond just the one patient and $1,000.

On June 1, OMA called police to report that an audit the company conducted found that between October 2016 and September 2017, Bokemper allegedly took more than $24,000 from 34 patients accounts and credited the funds to two credit cards, according to police reports and two search warrants filed this week.

“This same employee had done this, multiple times and that it was possible up to $24,000 worth of money had been embezzled by this employee,” Morgan said.

Calls to Bokemper’s attorney went unreturned. An employee at OMA told News 4 it is not commenting.

Content retrieved from: https://kfor.com/2018/07/20/former-surgical-center-employee-facing-embezzlement-charges-suspected-in-more-patient-thefts/

Erin has a previous record, including a string of 2016 felony charges from embezzlement.

First and Last Name
Erin Marie Bokemper
Offense
Jun. 1, 2016
Source
Admin Office Of Courts (Oklahoma)
Charges/Offenses
Embezzlement (Emb) | Using a Computer Network for The Purpose of Obtaining Money and Other Things of Value by Use of a FA | Compu, Using a Computer Network for The Purpose of Obtaining Money and Other Things of Value by Use of a False and Fraudulent Representation, in Violation of 21 O.s. 1951 – 1981 | Emb, Embezzlement, in Violation of 21 O.s. 1451 – 1463

Texas Dental Association’s pension plan is a victim of embezzlement

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Austin Area Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Stealing Millions From Pension Plans

In Austin today, 64-year-old Lakeway resident Ricky Lynn Richardson was sentenced to five years in federal prison for stealing millions from pension plans announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.

In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Sam Sparks ordered that Richardson pay
approximately $ 4,362,813.59 restitution and be placed under supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.

On March 18, 2014, Richardson pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with theft and
embezzlement from an employee benefit plan. According to authorities, from 1998 to 2013, Richardson stole money from four separate pension plans for which he provided administrative services, namely approximately $941,234 from the Texas Dental Association in Austin, approximately $2,504,258 from D.W.D. Engineering in the Houston area, approximately $687,520 from Green Leaflet, Inc., in Austin and approximately $229,800 from Albert T. Gross, M.D. in Austin. During the scheme, Richardson, doing business as Benefit Consultants, Inc., in Spicewood, TX, secretly misdirected or misappropriated money that belonged to the plans and provided customers with false statements, leading them to believe they still had the retirement money.

This investigation was conducted by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Employees
Benefits Security Administration of the Department of Labor. Assistant United States Attorney Alan M. Buie prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.

Content retrieved from: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/austin-area-man-sentenced-federal-prison-stealing-millions-pension-plans

Embezzlement News #72 August 2018

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Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
Issue #72 — August 2018
Pat Little
DDS FAGD CFE
One of our busiest speakers, Dr. Pat Little smoothly blends his investigative work with an active speaking calendar.
Prior to his work with Prosperident, Pat was a “wet fingered” guy, owning several dental practices. When repetitive motion issues began to take their toll, Pat returned to college to study accounting. He found us through mutual friend Linda Miles, and we have had the pleasure of working with Pat ever since.
Pat’s speaking includes large venues like the Hinman Meeting and the ADA as well as cozy study clubs.
No boring speakers here!
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door live events?
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Aug 25 Chicago Dental Meeting, Chicago IL
Sep 7 Patterson Dental, Houston TX
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & District dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 13 Benco Leadership Day, Houston TX
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 24 Seattle Study Club, Rochester NY
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Oct 27 Law Enforcement Investigation and Prosecution Group, Columbia MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Huntersville NC
2019
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Irving TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Feb 11 Wasatch Oral Surgery, Jordan UT
Apr 12 American Association of Endodontists, Montreal QC
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 4 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
Sep 13 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Held Over — Summer Giveaway!
Last month, we offered no-cost access to Prosperident’s Embezzlement Risk Assessment Questionnaire at no cost. Some people missed the giveaway because of summer vacation schedules, so we are pleased to extend the offer.
The questionnaire is completed online, and typically takes 10-15 minutes to finish. Your score, along with some commentary, is provided after completion.
We normally sell the questionnaire on our website for $139, but from now until AUGUST 15, we are offering it to dentists at no cost.
To obtain your free access, please email us at requests@dentalembezzlement.com.
Embezzler of the Month
Here is another member of Prosperident’s “Half Million Dollar Club”.
 
Durango, Colorado’s Robin Bernazzi recently confessed to embezzling more than $500,000 from the dental practice in which she worked. She is currently free on bail, but the justice system is far from finished with Ms. Bernazzi.
 
Check out Robin, and many other embezzlers, in our Hall of Shame HERE.
Something To Talk About…
Community. The concept has implications, both large and small. Communities offer us a sense of acceptance, appreciation, and a responsibility to contribute to the well-being of the group and its culture.
It’s hard to believe that summer is half over and that by the time you receive our September newsletter, you will be moving into your fall and winter schedules, both personally and professionally. Fall, of course, is synonymous with “back to school.” Love it or hate it, education is the first thing that comes to mind for many of us as August quickly becomes September. You happily see your children off to their places of study, and then your focus turns to your own need for continuing education.
At Prosperident, we treasure our unique relationship with the dental community, and the opportunities we have been presented to help you increase your knowledge. This year, in an attempt to honor your requests to have additional speakers who are informative and engaging, we are adding two new speakers to the Prosperident Speakers Bureau.
We never hide the fact that our educational information and statistics come directly from our work, which is dedicated to investigating financial crimes against your community. Our speakers strive to present you with relevant information (as well as some humor), to protect you from the people who target you as their victims. We love speaking at your events, large and small, and we gain a tremendous deal of satisfaction from being able to interact with you.
With your feedback and support, we are proud to be developing even more presentations that we consider to be of value to your community while we wage war against the criminals who have for too long gotten financially fat off of your hard work and trust. Education, not infomercials, is what we offer and we feel privileged to be able to do so.
My team and I would like to offer you a heartfelt “Thank you!” for allowing us to be a growing part of your community, and we look forward to meeting you during the fall and winter season of 2018-19 at your events and conferences. Until then, we hope you are enjoying your summer!
David Harris
CEO
 
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
We are Prosperident, Dentistry’s Embezzlement Experts