Stolen Oven Leads to 2 Arrests at Illegal Dental Practice

A purloined oven led Georgia police to discover an illegal dental practice operating in an Atlanta-area warehouse. Two men were arrested as a result: the alleged unlicensed dentist and the landlord who allegedly harbored him.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) reports that Yuri Aleksandruk, who is accused of practicing dentistry illegally, and Peter Kiriliuk, the accused landlord, were each charged with practicing unlicensed dentistry.

The discovery of the illegal practice began as a result of a burglary victim’s online search for stolen property. According to the news report, the victim contacted Gwinnett County police, saying that he’d come across a stolen oven in his search. The victim confirmed that the oven had been stolen when he met the seller at an area warehouse and matched the serial number to that of the stolen oven. The victim then contacted police.

When officers responded to the report of the oven, the came across a locked door, the AJC reports, and could hear people moving behind the door. They ordered the people inside to open the door, the AJC said, but they didn’t comply. After forcing their way through the locked door, officers discovered that the space was being used as a dental practice.

The AJC reports that authorities said Aleksandruk confirmed he was practicing dentistry in the space, and that he had a license “overseas.”

Cpl. Michele Pihera is quoted in the AJC’s report as saying it appears Aleksandruk had been practicing there for a relatively short time.

“The detective assigned to this case believes that he was only performing dentistry at this location for about a month. … It’s unclear if he was at a different location prior. He had an appointment book showing upcoming dentist appointments.”

Ultimately, the AJC reports, the oven that brought officers to the warehouse had nothing to do with the dental practice. The status of the search for the oven thief is unclear.