Two California Dental Assistants, Alma Almendariz and Maria Uranday, Sentenced to Probation for Insurance Fraud

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The state Department of Insurance says a second dental assistant from the same office has been charged with insurance fraud, identity theft and grand theft after allegedly falsifying insurance claims.

Alma Almendariz held on $690K Bail

Alma Almendariz, 35, was booked Wednesday into Kern County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday on 67 felonies, according to the department and court website. She’s held on $690,000 bail.

Almendariz used insider knowledge to submit fraudulent insurance claims to AFLAC for procedures that were not performed, according to a Department of Insurance release. She is accused of submitting 23 fraudulent claims for her and her son and receiving $10,165 from AFLAC.

Maria Uranday, who worked at the same dental office as Almendariz, pleaded not guilty in June to similar charges and is next due in court in August. The dental office was not named in the news release.

Update: Both Defendants Sentenced

Both women resolved their cases with no-contest pleas. Alma Almendariz pleaded no contest to five felonies — grand theft, false health-benefit claims, preparing a false insurance claim, unauthorized use of personal identifying information, and forgery — with 62 remaining counts dismissed, and was sentenced to time served in county jail plus five years of probation. Maria Uranday pleaded no contest to grand theft and preparing a false insurance claim in connection with $2,140 in fraudulent Aflac payouts, with 11 counts dismissed, and received three years of probation with community service.

Sources: California Department of Insurance; KGET Bakersfield coverage of both sentencings