Oakton Dentist's Trial on Narcotics Charges Begins Today

A jury trial for an Oakton dentist accused of illegally distributing narcotics begins today in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria.

The trial of Dr. Hamada Makarita, whose dental practice is located at 2936 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 200, is scheduled for 10 a.m. today with Judge Leonie M. Brinkema presiding.

Makarita, 51, pleaded not guilty June 4 to charges he illegally distributed prescription medicine to patients.

Makarita, who recently sold his Oakton home, is charged with conspiracy, health care fraud, aggravated identity theft and 12 counts of dispensing controlled substances. 

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the health care fraud charge, 20 years in prison for conspiracy and each dispensing controlled substances charge, and a consecutive two-year sentence for the aggravated identity theft charge.

Makarita was arrested March 15 after an FBI investigation prompted by a former employee at Makarita's dental practice on Chain Bridge Road in Oakton. Makarita says  two years ago, according to court documents. 

The indictment accuses Makarita of distributing and dispensing thousands of dosages of scheduled medication from 2007 and 2012 "without a legitimate dental purpose and beyond the bounds of a dental practice," according to court documents. It also accuses him of illegally distributing the pills to patients and girlfriends in social settings and for consensual and nonconsensual sex, including one instance in which the grand jury states he took illicit photographs of a woman he was dating while she was intoxicated without her permission and sent the pictures to friends and employees.

The indictment also alleges Makarita billed more than $160,000 of services for family members to Aetna under the name of another dentist, receiving more than $91,000 in reimbursements.

To read previous articles on this case, click here.

This article has been corrected to show Dr. Hamada Makarita is 51 years old.