Following guilty plea, ex-doc Alms surrenders license to Missouri Dental Board

By: 
Steve Chapman

Embroiled in controversy, former dentist and wife still face other charges including arson — of dental clinic
Dr. Thomas Alms, a former dentist in Mt. Vernon, has surrendered his license to practice dentistry to the Missouri Dental Board in place of a disciplinary hearing from the board. Alms signed the agreement on Nov. 29, and Brian Barnett, executive director for the Missouri Dental Board, signed on Dec. 10.
The board had sought to discipline Alms after he pleaded guilty to one count of Medicaid fraud on March 18.
Under the agreement, Alms agreed to surrender his dentist’s license within 30 days of the date of the agreement. If he wishes to apply for a new license, Alms must meet all licensing requirements in place at the time of the application. Any information gathered by the board concerning the fraud he pleaded guilty to can be taken into consideration in the board’s decision on whether to grant him a new license, should he apply for one. Alms is also required to return any tokens or indications of licensure to the board.
Alms appears to have viewed the action as superfluous. Under his signature, he wrote, “If I didn’t renew (my) license, I would think it no longer exists. What is the point of this?” Alms’ license expired on Nov. 11, 2018.
Alms was originally charged with three counts of Medicaid fraud. With his guilty plea, he was sentenced to five years and ordered to repay $200,000 to the Medicaid program.
Alms is currently facing charges of stealing over $25,000 and second-degree arson, stemming from an accusation that he allegedly set fire to his Mt. Vernon dental office and attempted to collect insurance money. He also faces a charge of stealing more than $750 in a separate case. His wife, Laura Alms, is charged with alleged arson and attempt to collect from the insurance company. She is also facing two counts of witness tampering; she is alleged to have told two prospective witnesses not to speak with law enforcement. Both Thomas and Laura Alms’ cases have been transferred to the Dade County Circuit Court on a change of venue. They are both currently scheduled to appear in court for a pre-trial conference on Jan. 21, 2020, and again for a jury trial on March 3, 2020.

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Lawrence County Record

312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
www.lawrencecountyrecord.com

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