A U.S. grand jury has indicted an orthodontist and his wife for reportedly engaging in a scheme to embezzle $73,000 from an Arizona practice they sold but stayed on as employees, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Dr. Andrew Kassman and his wife, Laurie Ann, were indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. A conviction on either charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to a press release dated March 5 from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
After Kassman sold his orthodontics practice in Tucson, AZ, he and his wife continued to work there. He worked as an orthodontist and she continued as office manager.
After the sale, the orthodontist kept his business account open, which they reportedly used to embezzle funds belonging to the practice and without the new owner’s knowledge. Laurie Ann Kassman is accused of manipulating financial documents in the practice’s recordkeeping system to conceal the scheme, in which they purportedly took at least $73,000, according to the press release.
