The FBI found several claim checks from Aetna addressed to Kassem but deposited with Makarita's signature for dental work done on Makarita's parents. Kassem testified to never receiving nor cashing the checks, noting he once received an explanation of benefits for a claim check in his name then called Makarita's office, spoke with Derder about the mistake and assumed the problem had been resolved.
Makarita is accused of distributing illegal narcotics to Hamoud and other patients. Hamoud, who admits to having an extramarital affair with Makarita while also being treated by him, said Makarita has prescribed narcotics on several occasions but only for dental purposes. She said she has had extensive dental work — extractions, bridges, gum surgery, full mouth reconstruction and temporomendibular joint disorder TMD — and a low tolerance for pain.
It was unbearable," said Hamoud, who added each of Makarita's prescriptions coincided with that pain. The defense then called a string of witnesses to testify to Makarita's character: Barbara Lunsford, his longtime dental assistant who said the second assistant once complained he asked her to pick up a prescription in her name but otherwise knew of no wrongdoing on Makarita's part; Danielle Larson, Makarita's dential hygienist; Laila Mazeas, a childhood friend.
And then came a string of witnesses whose testimony attempts to discredit Derder: a friend of Derder's who admitted to receiving prescriptions from her; a patient who claimed she exposed herself to him; Derder's daughter's former teacher who said Derder secured her a prescription of diazepam valium ; a patient who dealt with Derder after being billed multiple times for the same dental procedure; a patient who said Derder would tell her to call anytime if she needed more of her prescription; a former lawyer for Makarita who said a lawyer connected to Derder called to say she would stop accusing Makarita if he dropped the case against her complaining of embezzlement; and Makarita's parents, who testified to the extensive dental work they knew of no rule from Aetna and the World Bank — where Makarita's father was employed — excluding one's qualification for claims if dental procedures were performed by a family member.
William Beatty, a close friend and patient of Makarita's, testified to the dentist's character. He said any narcotics he received coincided with dental pain and had never seen Makarita drink or take drugs throughout their friendship. He talked of Makarita's tendency to forgive charges when patients could not fully afford a procedure, which Beatty experienced firsthand when money became tight during his divorce.
Friday's proceedings ended with the testimony of Dr. Vincent Clark, an expert witness for the defense who says he believes Makarita has a tendency to underprescribe, not overprescribe. He explained the TMD's symptoms in particular are continual — it does not necessarily coincide with a particular dental procedure. Makarita said his "go-to" prescription for most patients is two extra strength tylenol and two advil, but oftentimes he knows "that's not going to cut the mustard" and prescribes a stronger medication from the start.
In the case of Reem Hamoud, he said her extensive dental work often required medication in between procedures. He noted he had prescribed more non-narcotics than narcotics to her during the time frame in question — to While he prescribed her a total of pills of narcotics, he prescribed her 1, pills of non-narcotics over the same time period.
He said he never knew his former girlfriend, Janet Brumbaugh, who Makarita is also accused of illegally providing narcotics, had an addiction to prescription medication. He explained the compromising pictures he took of Brumbaugh, saying one was taken simply because he thought it was funny she passed out with one boot on and one boot off. He challenged the prosecution's implication she was not wearing underwear in the photo that showed her lying in bed pantless with her eyes closed.
He said he emailed Brumbaugh the photo. Though she testified she was "disgusted" by the email, he said she laughed. As for work done on Makarita's parents marked as being performed by Dr. Sameh Kassem in the practice's computer system, Makarita said it was a misunderstanding. The rules of replying: Be respectful. This is a space for friendly local discussions. No racist, discriminatory, vulgar or threatening language will be tolerated. Be transparent.
Use your real name, and back up your claims. Keep it local and relevant. Make sure your replies stay on topic. It is because of the possibility of his innocence that makes this small scandal in our little town more sad than sensational.
How will Makarita ever regain his reputation in the community even if he is found innocent? Yet, in light of all these accusations, how can I comfortably allow him to provide care for my children? This scenario has certainly cultivated a lot of discussion among friends, and I've struggled with how to both err on the side of caution and support the age-old American ideal that one is innocent until proven guilty.
So I've decided to split the difference on this one. I will continue to seek dental care from Hamada Makarita but will look to a pediatric dentist for my kids for the foreseeable future. What would you do?
The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch? Register for a user account. Carol Lee Campbell , Neighbor. Find out what's happening in Oakton with free, real-time updates from Patch. Let's go! Thank Reply Share.
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