Office manager accused of posing as dentist in the Bronx

RIVERDALE (WABC) -- It's hard to imagine someone finding a way of making going to the dentist even more unpleasant, but one woman at an office in the Bronx did just that.

She allegedly scammed the doctor out of money and even worse, scammed patients out of a sense of security that someone who is actually licensed and trained was working inside their mouth.

45-year-old Valbona Yzeiraj of White Plains was not a licensed dentist in New York State.

She was actually an office manager at Ultimate Dental Care, but that did stop her from performing a root canal, extractions and even injections when her boss, the real dentist, was away.

At the office of Dr. Jeffrey Schoengold on Independence Avenue, many of Yzeiraj's duped patients were uninsured and one woman was even pregnant during her procedure.

The alleged crimes happened between late 2012 and summer 2013, all at the hands of a woman who went by "Dr. Val" but was really just an office manager.

This doctor imposter, who claims to have had dental training in her home country of Albania, was indicted earlier this month and arraigned Thursday afternoon.

She now faces charges of assault, reckless endangerment, and unauthorized practice.

There's also a charge of larceny for allegedly trying to scam her boss out of $20,000 on her way out the door.

Yzeiraj would allegedly schedule appointments while the doctor was out of the office and then offer discounts to patients to get cash payments.

The scam came to light only when those patients began to experience complications from the work and called the real dentist.

"Dr. Val" was then fired. She is due back in court May 28th.

If convicted, she faces seven years behind bars and bail was set at a $20,000 bond.

Some of "Dr. Val's" patients suffered infections and even severe pain, two years after treatment. No one answered at the office Thursday afternoon.

The judge also barred her from working anywhere in regard to dentistry for the duration of her case.