MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A Miami-Dade woman is facing multiple charges after authorities say she was operating an illegal dental clinic out of her home, where detectives later discovered a functional dental setup and improperly discarded biomedical waste.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, 54-year-old Karim Selene Cordova Rivera was arrested Wednesday following an investigation by the agency’s Medical Crimes Squad.
Investigators said the case began after the Florida Department of Health received an anonymous complaint alleging that a woman identified as “Karim” was practicing dentistry without a license at her home in the 1800 block of Northwest 44th Street in the county’s Brownsville area.
Authorities said detectives confirmed that neither Cordova Rivera nor anyone else registered at the home was licensed to practice dentistry in Florida.
As part of the investigation, detectives said they arranged an appointment with Cordova Rivera via text messages for a tooth extraction, which she allegedly quoted at $150 and provided her home address for the procedure.
On Wednesday, two undercover detectives went to the home, and one met with Cordova Rivera for a consultation about extracting a tooth, authorities said.
They said when Cordova Rivera began “taking overt actions to treat the undercover operative,” detectives moved in and took her into custody without incident.
Investigators said they then executed a search warrant at the home and found a functional dental setup inside one of the bedrooms.
After being read her rights, authorities said Cordova Rivera told detectives that she is a licensed dentist in Peru, but not in the United States.
She also admitted to purchasing dental supplies such as syringes, gowns and gauze through online retailers, according to her arrest report.
The report states that Cordova Rivera declined to say where she obtained lidocaine, a controlled substance used to numb patients during dental procedures.
In that case, she faces one count of practicing dentistry without a license and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, authorities said.
During the investigation, detectives said they also conducted three separate “trash pulls” outside the home and said they discovered biohazardous human waste discarded in city trash receptacles.
When detectives later searched the home, they reported finding additional biomedical waste associated with previously treated patients.
Authorities said the home did not contain approved medical waste containers, warning labels or evidence that a licensed company had been used to dispose of the materials.
In a separate case, Cordova Rivera is also facing charges of violating Florida’s litter law, a hazardous waste violation, nuisances injurious to health and failing to track biomedical waste, jail records show.
As of Thursday, the Peruvian national was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her total bond was set at $7,800.
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