A burglary victim's online sleuthing led Gwinnett County police to a wholly unexpected discovery this week — an illicit dentist's office run by a man without a license.
Two men were subsequently arrested: Yuri Aleksandruk, the alleged illegal dentist, and Peter Kiriliuk, a landlord accused of helping hide the practice.
Gwinnett police Cpl. Michele Pihera said a burglary victim from Atlanta contacted officers Monday afternoon, saying he'd tracked down an oven that had been stolen. He told authorities he'd found the oven on Craigslist and met with the seller at an office and warehouse space at 4227 Steve Reynolds Blvd., verifying the serial numbers before contacting police.
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Officers got a search warrant and, during its execution, "encountered a locked door," Pihera said in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
They heard movement inside.
"After several commands, the door did not open," Pihera said. "Entry was forced into the room, and Yuri Aleksandruk and a female were located inside. In clearing the room, it was discovered that it was being used as a dentist office."
Aleksandruk reportedly admitted to practicing dentistry in the office despite not having a license. He told police he was licensed "overseas."
"The detective assigned to this case believes that he was only performing dentistry at this location for about a month," Pihera said. "It’s unclear if he was at a different location prior. He had an appointment book showing upcoming dentist appointments."
Most of those clients were from out-of-state, Pihera said.
Aleksandruk allegedly paid Kiriliuk, who managed the office suite, to run his practice out of two rooms in the building. Both men were arrested and charged with single counts of practicing dentistry without a license, a misdemeanor.
They've since been released on $2,400 bond.
The oven theft, police said, was not related to the dentistry practice.
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