Newport plastic surgeon faces fraud count

A plastic surgeon in Newport Beach allegedly performed added, unnecessary procedures during a scheduled nose job in order to overbill the patient’s insurance company, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Prosecutors also assert in a news release that Dr. Jay Calvert, 45, lied under oath during proceedings related to the victim’s August 2010 civil lawsuit against him over the rhinoplasty.

Calvert, who also has a practice in Beverly Hills, faces one felony count each of medical insurance fraud, manufacturing documents to support the fraudulent bill and perjury under oath, the release said.

He is accused of conducting the unwanted extra procedures on an unidentified patient in 2009 to overcharge the victim’s insurance company by more than $40,000, it said.

Alleged long-term medical harm also occurred as a result, according to the release.

A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office declined to elaborate on what the extra medical procedures were, citing a need to protect the patient’s privacy. She said the district attorney’s office began investigating the case in August.

Other possible victims can call supervising Dist. Atty. Investigator Kathy Tomlinson at (714) 648-3667.

Calvert’s lawyer, Pasquale Caiazza, said Monday that no charges had been filed against his client.

Calvert’s Nov. 14 arraignment was pushed to Dec. 13. If convicted, he faces up to six years and eight months in state prison, according to the release.

— Emily Foxhall

Twitter: @emfoxhall