BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Many people already fear going to the dentist, and it's even scarier when it turns out the office they chose to visit is accused of operating illegally.
That is the reality for at least 80 patients in South Florida, including in Boynton Beach, who detectives said were swindled out of thousands of dollars over a decade-long scheme.
Evelyn Cruz cried in front of a Palm Beach County judge Tuesday morning. She is facing 50 theft and fraud charges and is accused of illegally owning and running the dental office Dental Specialists, with offices in Boynton Beach and three other locations across Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Detectives say when Cruz was denied a business license for not being a dentist, a requirement to open a practice in Florida, she and her husband Ysmel Cruz illegally used the name of a legitimate dentist, Dr. Ivan Pelton, to open the practices.
Records show Pelton was arrested in December and is facing the same 50 charges as Cruz. They are both being held on a $280,000 bond.
In the arrest reports, investigators say many of the dentists Cruz hired to care for patients were not aware of the situation.
Detectives with the Florida Department of Financial Services have been working on this investigation for more than three years. They say since 2012, when the doors first opened, Cruz's businesses "with illicit proceeds from insurance companies totaled approximately $11,193,782."
At the Boynton Beach location, reports show 11 patients were scammed out of at least $37,000 for "bogus fees," "work not performed," or even "being charged twice for the same procedure."
Cruz sold the Boynton office to the new operator, Care One Dental, in 2019. Court records show Care One discovered the 80 patients who had been defrauded after a thorough review of Cruz's software.
In a statement, they said they are trying to help the victims through "a terrible abuse of trust and a blight on the professional field of dentistry, and we are hopeful full restitution will be made to the patients and families who have been victimized. We would like to make clear, as the press reports their story and shines light on the crimes committed, that neither Care One Dental nor any of its associates have any affiliation with Evelyn Cruz."
Detectives say they still have a warrant out for Ysmel Cruz's arrest.
