71-Year-Old Vladimir Mandzyuk Charged As Fake Dentist

SUGAR HILL, Ga. -- A 71-year-old man was arrested after police said he practiced dental work illegally.

Gwinnett County police said Vladimir Mandzyuk was running a dental practice out of the basement of his Sugar Hill home. A 20-year-old was once a patient, but became suspicious on his second visit, police said.

”His parents had made him this appointment to go back. He started doing a little research. He wasn't real comfortable with going back, Gwinnett police spokesman Jacob Smith told Channel 2's Eric Philips.

When the patient couldn't find any trace of the so-called dentist online, he alerted authorities, Smith said. Police stopped by the home for a search.

”The suspect was fully cooperative. He welcomed everyone right in and admitted then and there that he didn't have any kind of license for the business or to practice medicine or dentistry, Smith said.

When police searched the home, they found a dental chair, dental tools and several medications but no license, Smith said. He said Mandzyuk, of Ukraine, is not a certified dentist in his home country or the United States.Smith said he only took dentistry classes in college.

Neighbors said they were shocked.

"We just thought they had a big family," said neighbor Adam Smith.