A dentist in Alaska who appeared on the hit TV series "Alaskan Bush People" is accused of committing Medicaid fraud by overbilling, providing unnecessary services, and treating below the standard of care, according to state court records.
Dr. Joseph Mirci, 48, of Peninsula Family Dental Center in Soldotna, AK, was charged with scheme to defraud, theft in the first degree, and 15 counts of medical assistance fraud for allegedly submitting nearly $84,000 in fraudulent claims, according to court documents.
In October 2018, a former employee anonymously told the state Medicaid fraud unit that Mirci treated an 8-year-old Medicaid patient for a tooth extraction.
During the procedure, Mirci reportedly increased the amount of nitrous oxide he gave to the patient because the child was moving too much. The dental assistant present during the procedure turned the nitrous oxide down because the child appeared to be having an adverse reaction to the gas. Then the child went into convulsions and seizures, according to the court documents. Mirci allegedly billed Medicaid for the nitrous oxide and behavioral management, which could not be billed together.
The same employee told the investigator that a few weeks earlier, another patient came to the practice to have a crown replaced. Since it was under warranty, there was no charge. Mirci allegedly instructed dental staff to remove the “no charge” statement from the patient’s record and submit a bill to Medicaid for it, according to court records.
Furthermore, Mirci was accused of other actions, including allegedly telling staff that there was no such thing as a simple extraction at the practice. Instead, he allegedly told staff that such procedures should be billed as surgical extractions, according to the records.
This isn’t the first time that Mirci appears to have gotten himself into trouble.
In March 2026, the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners publicly reprimanded Mirci for allegedly making sexually inappropriate comments about, and to, his patients in violation of state statutes and regulations. Mirci did not admit or deny any of the allegations, according to a signed consent order.
He was ordered to take three hours of education dealing with sex-based discrimination in places of public accommodations, three hours of education related to sex-based discrimination in employment, and two hours of education relating to dentistry, according to the order.
In October 2023, a patient submitted a complaint to the dental board alleging that Mirci made sexually inappropriate comments and played music at the office that contained explicit lyrics, which he sang.
When a board investigator interviewed a dental assistant at the practice, she claimed that Mirci made inappropriate sexual comments toward the patient during and after the appointment. Also, the dental assistant alleged that Mirci frequently played loud and inappropriate music and made inappropriate sexual comments regarding prior office staff. Another dental assistant confirmed Mirci’s alleged behavior, according to the order.
In response, Mirci acknowledged that the allegations made by some staff and one patient reflect “apparent discomfort with the music played and comments made,” however, he expressed that it was not his intent. Mirci reported that he made changes to his general practice to ensure his actions with staff and patients were appropriate, according to the order.
Mirci was the dentist for the Discovery Channel’s "Alaskan Bush People," which was canceled in 2022 after 14 seasons. Mirchi could be seen working in a couple of the episodes, according to the dental practice website. The reality-documentary series introduced the world to the Brown family, who lived in the wild.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
