By Britney Milazzo
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
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A choked-up Scott D. Geise was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and three years probation Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court after the Newfane dentist told a judge “poor decisions were made” on his part.
“He’s a very good dentist ... but here’s someone so bright, yet there’s another significant factor here,” Judge Richard J. Arcara said. “Why would someone get involved in something that’s against the law? Why would this man do this, other than greed? In some degree, he’s a selfish person.”
Geise, 48, 2535 W. Creek Road, Newfane, is the owner of Newfane Family Dentistry on Main Street. He faced a 65-count indictment on charges of theft from an employee benefit plan, false statements relating to health care matters and filing false income tax returns from 2002-05.
He pleaded guilty March 4 on the third day of trial to two counts of filing a false statement in regards to health care matters and filing a false tax return which “resulted in personal income,” prosecutor Timothy C. Lynch said.
Daniels said Geise put that extra money toward child support.
As a result of the defendant’s guilty plea, he agreed to pay back $127,804.82 to the IRS and the insurance companies he defrauded.
Geise’s attorney, Joel Daniels, said $87,781.97 was already paid back to the IRS prior to sentencing Monday. Restitution to three insurance companies still has to be paid within three years in the amount of $40,022.85.
Prosecution said Geise admitted to performing dental procedures, knowing they were not covered by his clients’ insurance companies, then billing either Delta Dental, Blue Cross and Blue Shield or Aetna for the procedure under a different name.
Geise reportedly told his clients a teeth-whitening kit would be covered by insurance, but billed the insurance companies for silver fillings, instead of a sealant over his patients’ teeth.
Maximum sentence would have been five years, but recommendations in the plea deal capped sentencing at no more than 21 months in prison.
Daniels also said numerous times that his client was an asset to the community, serving more than 2,400 patients.
“If there’s one thing he was taught, it was to go out and accomplish something,” Daniels said. “We’re not making any excuses, but this is a man who does everything in his will to give back to the community.”
Geise reportedly had offers to play with the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles in the ’80s, but turned down the chance in order to enlist in the Army and go to dental school.
“He built up one of the largest dental practices in Western New York,” Daniels said. “Instead of going pro, he went to dental school.”
Both Geise and his attorneys asked Arcara for a non-prison sentence so his practice would not close.
“This has been very difficult for me. My patients come first,” Geise said. “It was a bad judgment on my part ... there were poor decisions made. I know in my heart I’m not a greedy man.”
But Lynch said before the sentence was handed down: “This is not a case of bad judgment.”
When asked by a US&J reporter what the future of his practice is, Geise replied: “Don’t worry, I have a plan,” but refused to say what the plan is. “My patients will always have a dentist in Newfane.”
According to Daniels and co-counsel, George V. Muscato, 90 percent of Geise’s patients stayed with his practice, despite his guilty plea to three counts.
Contact reporter Britney Milazzo at 439-9222, ext. 6251.
