Tinley Dentist Gets Federal Prison Time For $1.2M Fraud Scheme

TINLEY PARK, IL — A Tinley Park dentist who collected more than $1 million in medical care loans for work he never performed will spend 2.5 years in federal prison, according to a report.

Michael Egan, 58, of Orland Park, previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud, Fox 32 Chicago reports. At his dental practice in Tinley Park, he submitted fraudulent applications for medical loans he purportedly needed for work on specific patients.

Authorities said Egan had no plans to complete a slew of dental procedures he told a lending company he would from 2015 to 2016. The Tinley Park practice submitted applications to one lending company — officials did not disclose which one — and would sometimes ask for more funds after fake additional dental work was needed, according to officials.

Egan's patients were aware of the scheme, according to charging documents, and would receive a portion of the funds in exchange for Egan using their name and records to file the applications. A few other workers were also compensated for their work as "recruiters" in identifying patients who would participate in the fraud, authorities alleged.

Prior to his guilty plea, Egan faced up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge.