North Haven Dentist Pleads Guilty In Kickback Scheme: Feds

NORTH HAVEN, CT — A dentist who has owned practices in New Haven and North Haven pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of conspiring to violate a federal anti-kickback statute, according to officials.

Lakshmi Bethi, 48, of South Windsor, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery announced in a news release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Bethi has been a licensed dentist in Connecticut since 2013 and has owned dental practices in New Haven and North Haven.

“In pleading guilty, Bethi admitted that she conspired with multiple individuals, including Jeffrey Malave, who agreed to recruit Medicaid beneficiaries to attend dental appointments with Bethi for dental services that she then billed to Connecticut Medicaid,” officials wrote in the news release. “In exchange, Bethi agreed to pay kickbacks to the recruiters, who then passed on a portion of the kickbacks to the patients as an incentive to attend the dental appointments.

“Between 2016 and 2023, Bethi paid the patient recruiters more than $360,000 in kickbacks, and Connecticut Medicaid reimbursed Bethi approximately $2.2 million for services rendered to patients recruited via kickbacks.”

Conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickbacks statute carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. As part of her plea, officials said Bethi has agreed to forfeit $500,000.

Bethi was released on bond pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.

Malave, 48, of Shelton, pleaded guilty to related charges on February 28, 2024, and awaits sentencing.