A woman and her husband are behind bars after the Oklahoma State Board of Dentistry says she was operating a fake dental practice out of her Tulsa apartment.
Search Warrant Leads to Discovery
Investigators served a search warrant at the apartment on Wednesday, located near 61st and Garnett. The state dental board says they discovered the fraudulent practice through a complaint after a former patient went to a real dentist and learned that the treatment they received from the woman was not correct.
Dental Tools and Drugs Found in Apartment
Investigators arrested Carol Gutierrez Herrera after they say they found a dental chair, tools, and drugs set up inside the apartment. Agents said they had to kick down the door to serve the search warrant. Herrera and her husband were reportedly operating a dental practice without a license.
Undercover Operation Reveals at Least 40 Patients
The discovery came after a former patient filed a complaint. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) served the warrant after a joint undercover operation with the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry and Homeland Security.
“We started working with the Bureau of Narcotics and HSC to work on the case. And so today, we had someone go in undercover and be treated. We believe there are at least 40 or more patients that we know of who have been treated here,” said Susan Rogers, executive director of the State Board of Dentistry.
Rogers said cases like this pose a significant danger to the public…