A New York woman allegedly pretending to be a dentist has been caught, however, not before inflicting serious health damage on her patients. The 55-year-old woman, Yolany Mejia Carranza, operated a fully functioning dental office from her home for over eight years.
According to Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, authorities received tips alleging that Carranza had inflicted injuries to some of her patients. They obtained a warrant to search the suspect’s home on Wednesday, March 13, and discovered an illegal at-home dental practice in Carranza’s Long Island, New York, home. Police believe this is not her first time, and she had previously operated another illegal dental practice in a different location.
From the information received, the suspect’s illegal procedures caused “severe nerve damage” that resulted in “partial facial paralysis” in at least one of her patients. Carranza was also accused of using insufficient amounts of local anesthetic to perform complex dental procedures, which often led to severe injuries.
When questioned, Carranza’s neighbors revealed that she wasn’t acting suspiciously or doing anything on the outside that indicated she was running an illegal practice in her home. Steve Contreras, one of the suspect’s neighbors, said she often acted normal and had never mentioned anything about dental work.
The police commissioner explained that Carranza may be exclusively targeting undocumented Hispanic people because they don’t have access to healthcare. However, many online have expressed outrage concerning the situation, saying the suspect herself looks Hispanic.
“She looks Hispanic her damn self… ppl suck,” one person said. “You can’t make this stuff up. Oh, wait. You can. They’re called ‘Horror Movies,’” another person added.
Other people are of the opinion that the suspect must have studied at dental school at some point to be able to run the practice for so long. Some also believe that she may have been offering dental services to help people who couldn’t afford proper healthcare.
“Had she been to dental school at some point? And failed? How do you open up a dental office with no background? She looks Hispanic. Was she trying to help people with no money? So many questions,” a comment read.
“Bet most of her patients were of illegal persuasion. Just a guess,” another person added.
Authorities released a statement urging more of Carranza’s victims to come forward. To encourage victims to speak up, the Suffolk County Police Department will not ask any victims about their immigration status.
Carranza has been charged with three counts of unauthorized practice of a profession. She pleaded not guilty during her first court date and is scheduled to appear next in court on April 1, 2025.
