MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A Miami-Dade woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly running an illegal dental clinic from her home, authorities said. Detectives discovered a functioning dental setup and improperly discarded biomedical waste during the investigation.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said 54-year-old Karim Selene Cordova Rivera was charged after the Medical Crimes Squad investigated an anonymous tip to the Florida Department of Health. The complaint alleged that Cordova Rivera, identified only as “Karim,” was practicing dentistry without a license at her Brownsville-area residence on Northwest 44th Street.
Investigators confirmed that neither Cordova Rivera nor anyone else at the home was licensed to practice dentistry in Florida. Detectives arranged an undercover appointment for a tooth extraction, which she quoted at $150. When Cordova Rivera began performing dental procedures on the undercover officer, she was taken into custody without incident.
A subsequent search of her home revealed a fully equipped dental setup in one bedroom. Cordova Rivera told authorities she is a licensed dentist in Peru but not in the United States.
She also admitted to buying dental supplies—including syringes, gowns, and gauze—online. She declined to disclose the source of lidocaine, a controlled anesthetic used in dental procedures.
Cordova Rivera faces one count of practicing dentistry without a license and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. Additional charges include violations of Florida’s litter law, improper disposal of biomedical waste, creating health hazards, and failing to track medical waste.
Investigators reportedly recovered human biohazardous waste from the home and surrounding trash bins, which were not properly labeled or handled by licensed disposal companies.
The Peruvian national is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a total bond of $7,800.