A 50-year-old man accused of practicing dentistry without a license and botching procedures for three women was sentenced after pleading guilty, the PADMEL reported.
Gerardo Casas pleaded guilty Dec. 8 to three counts of violating the Dentistry Act and received deferred adjudication — a form of probation — under a plea agreement, according to the report. If he violates the terms of his probation, he faces a possible prison term of two to 10 years.
As part of the deal, Casas was ordered to pay $3,600 in restitution to his victims. The case began after women in the Rio Grande Valley reported painful, improperly performed procedures.
In March 2025, authorities arrested Casas after a woman said he had extracted 10 of her teeth, measured her for dentures and then never returned with the prosthesis. She told investigators she paid $1,800 for extractions and dentures and was left in pain and without teeth.
Two sisters from La Joya also accused Casas of extracting some of their teeth and taking denture measurements that allegedly were incorrect; the sisters said the ill-fitting appliances caused continued pain. The women first contacted authorities about the work in June 2023.
Police described Casas as noncooperative when they located him, according to the PADMEL.