FRANKFORT, Ky. (WYMT) – A McDowell man pleaded guilty to health care fraud Tuesday, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney General’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

According to the plea agreement, 66-year-old Denver D. Tackett, a licensed dentist who owned and operated Tackett Family Dentistry in McDowell, submitted false and unnecessary claims to Kentucky Medicaid for reimbursement for dental procedures and services performed at his practice.

Tackett admitted to performing and submitting claims for procedures that “were not reasonable or necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of a patient’s illness or injury”.

In total, Tackett admitted to submitting more than $95,000 in reimbursement claims to Kentucky Medicaid and its fiscal intermediaries for unnecessary dental procedures.

As part of his plea agreement, Tackett agreed to permanently surrender his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration and agreed not to seek registration in the future. Without a DEA registration, healthcare professionals are not able to lawfully prescribe controlled substances.

Tackett also agreed to pay restitution of at least $70,000 and agreed to a forfeiture money judgment of $20,000.

Tackett is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2020, and faces up to 10 years in prison with a maximum fine of up to $250,000.

Tackett was indicted back in April 2019 as part of the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force initiative.

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