A woman in Miami-Dade County, Florida is facing several felony charges after authorities say she was operating an unauthorized dental practice from her residence.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Karim Selene Cordova Rivera was arrested following an investigation triggered by an anonymous tip about illegal dental services being offered at a home in the Brownsville, Miami-Dade County, Florida neighborhood.
Investigators said Cordova Rivera holds a dental license in Peru, but it is not valid in the United States. Detectives arranged an undercover appointment for a tooth extraction at the home. Once she prepared to perform the procedure, officers moved in and arrested her, according to court documents.
Authorities later executed a search warrant at the residence and reported finding evidence connected to the alleged illegal practice. Investigators said they collected several bags of trash that contained materials supporting multiple charges.
Cordova Rivera now faces accusations including practicing dentistry without a license, possession of a controlled substance, improper disposal of hazardous waste, creating a public health nuisance and failing to properly track biomedical waste.
Officials also confirmed that the Florida Department of Health database does not list Cordova Rivera as a licensed dentist in the state.
A neighbor, Diego Arias, told reporters he had seen people visiting the house but was unaware that dental services were allegedly being provided there.
During a court appearance, Mindy Glazer, a judge with the Miami-Dade County Court, granted Cordova Rivera bond and appointed a public defender to represent her.