September 09, 2025
A Manatee County judge recently handed down the maximum sentence of 15 years in prison to a former dental office manager who authorities say defrauded patients and the practices where she worked. The case also prompted prosecutors to call on employers to ensure they are vetting potential employees.
Tiffany Denyse Young, 54, of St. Petersburg, entered a plea of no contest in May to a variety of fraud charges, including scheming to defraud less than $20,000; fraudulent use of personal identification information, for 10 or more victims and for victims over 60 years of age; and obtaining codeine by fraud, among other offenses, according to prosecutors. The case was prosecuted by the office of Ed Brodsky, the state's attorney for the 12th district, covering Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. (In pleading no contest, a defendant does not admit guilt but accepts the penalty for the crime in lieu of a trial.)
The charges stemmed from actions Young took from 2020 to 2023 when she was employed by two separate Manatee County dental offices as an office manager, officials say, noting she used her position to defraud the practices out of tens of thousands of dollars in various ways. Young had patients leave the “pay to” section of their checks blank, and she filled in her own name before depositing checks into her personal account, according to prosecutors, who add that she also altered the amounts in many cases to increase the payout for herself. In other cases, officials say, Young charged patients smaller amounts on their credit or debit cards before pocketing the difference and manipulating accounting software to cover up the thefts. She also used one doctor’s DEA registration number to prescribe controlled substances for herself, prosecutors say.
Young, who gave false information on her employment applications, had a lengthy prior record of similar offenses, according to prosecutors, who say she has already served time in prison.
“She was able to get these jobs by providing an altered middle name and Social Security number,” Assistant State Attorney Justin Foster says in a statement. “We encourage all employers to thoroughly and carefully vet any prospective employees who will be handling finances for your companies. We are pleased that the victim businesses, their doctors and patients will be protected from this defendant for the next 30 years.”
Young was sentenced to 15 years of probation in addition to 15 years in prison. The 15-year prison sentence reflected the maximum punishment available on the highest-level offenses, according to the state's attorney. The fraudulent use of personal identification information (with 10 or more victims) offense carried a mandatory minimum punishment of three years in prison, officials say.
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Content retrieved from: https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2025/sep/08/manatee-dental-office-manager-fraud/