Fake dentist treated patients in bedroom of his home, prosecutors say
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man is behind bars after he was accused of practicing dentistry out of his townhome.
Court records state 41-year-old Harley Rodriguez-Bonilla had dental equipment and an examination room in his townhome.
According to court documents, officers made an appointment to get fitted for dentures.
When they arrived, they waited in the living room before his assistant took them upstairs.
In a bedroom, according to investigators, they saw dental equipment and an examination table.
Court records also state an officer got on the table and Rodriguez-Bonilla went to mix up a paste. He and his assistant took impressions and told the officer it would cost $900.
Officers also spoke with a woman who received dental services from Rodriguez-Bonilla and said it cost her $3,800 for upper and lower veneers.
Once arrested, Rodriguez-Bonilla told police he'd performed dental work in California and Florida.
The judge took note.
"Considering the extreme threat that this poses to our community and the fact that he admits he lives in California and Florida and performs dental work on people there with no license, I consider him, number one, to be a risk to those communities as well as ours and, number two, to be a flight risk," said the judge during Rodriguez-Bonilla court appearance. "Based on that, I find that a higher bond is necessary."
His bond was set at $25,000.
