Manatee dental office manager sentenced to 15 years for fraud

A Manatee County judge recently handed down the maximum sentence of 15 years in prison to a former dental office manager who authorities say defrauded patients and the practices where she worked. The case also prompted prosecutors to call on employers to ensure they are vetting potential employees.

Tiffany Denyse Young, 54, of St. Petersburg, entered a plea of no contest in May to a variety of fraud charges, including scheming to defraud less than $20,000; fraudulent use of personal identification information, for 10 or more victims and for victims over 60 years of age; and obtaining codeine by fraud, among other offenses, according to prosecutors. The case was prosecuted by the office of Ed Brodsky, the state's attorney for the 12th district, covering Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. (In pleading no contest, a defendant does not admit guilt but accepts the penalty for the crime in lieu of a trial.)

The charges stemmed from actions Young took from 2020 to 2023 when she was employed by two separate Manatee County dental offices as an office manager, officials say, noting she used her position to defraud the practices out of tens of thousands of dollars in various ways. Young had patients leave the “pay to” section of their checks blank, and she filled in her own name before depositing checks into her personal account, according to prosecutors, who add that she also altered the amounts in many cases to increase the payout for herself. In other cases, officials say, Young charged patients smaller amounts on their credit or debit cards before pocketing the difference and manipulating accounting software to cover up the thefts. She also used one doctor’s DEA registration number to prescribe controlled substances for herself, prosecutors say.