BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — A Florida couple and a dentist accused of defrauding at least 80 dental patients out of thousands of dollars will avoid prison time after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors, according to court records.
The three-year investigation found the group defrauded people and insurance companies for work not performed and other bogus charges worth more than $11 million. The Office of Statewide Prosecution, overseen by Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier (R), allowed the last defendant in the case, Evelyn Cruz, to plea no contest.
WATCH: Victim says he's still dealing with debt from bogus charges
According to the plea agreement, the 43-year-old woman will have to serve 48 months probation and time served in jail (about 26 days), in exchange for pleading no contest to two charges: grand theft and proprietorship by non-dentists.
The agreement states Cruz will not operate any other dental or medical practices requiring a license, and will forfeit funds worth more than $493,000. She will also have to pay investigation and prosecution costs worth about $19,000, and has the ability to transfer her probation to Georgia.
Cruz originally faced more than 20 charges of insurance fraud, but prosecutors dropped those charges in December 2025.
Court records show prosecutors declined to pursue the “organized scheme to defraud charges” the day before the plea agreement was signed on Jan. 6. The deal means Cruz didn’t have to admit guilt for stealing money or operating a dentist's office without being a licensed dentist.
Investigators said Cruz used a legitimate dentist, Dr. Ivan Pelton, to open multiple dentist offices. Prosecutors, according to court records, dropped all the insurance fraud charges in April 2025. But prosecutors kept the organized scheme to defraud and proprietorship by non-dentists charge until Pelton died in October 2025.
Boynton Beach
Man scammed by illegal dental practice was told 14 teeth needed repairs
Jason Weiss, Cruz’s defense attorney, told WPTV that his client was looking forward to moving on with her family. He said the allegations were not fraud, but the result of ordinary billing issues without criminal intent.
"From my perspective, this case was always about documents and unfounded accusations made by the business owners that later acquired one of the practices,” Weiss said in a written statement sent by email.
Ysmel Cruz, Evelyn’s husband, also faced an organized scheme to defraud charge and 24 insurance fraud charges. All of his charges were dropped in September 2025.
VICTIM FRUSTRATED
Jason Tuszynski, one of the alleged victims in investigators' complaint, said he's still dealing with the consequences of debt from alleged bogus charges. He also said he believes the treatments performed on his mouth weren’t done correctly.
"I mean, everyday I wake up I have to face it," Tuszynski said. "I can't chew my food right."
He said he’s frustrated the Office of Statewide Prosecution, which oversaw the case, even offered a plea deal.
“I’m mad it was even put on the table,” Tuszynski said. “Like, I’m mad that somebody could get away with that.”
The Office of Statewide Prosecution, which is overseen by the state attorney general's office, notes a 99% conviction rate online for cases they handle. However, they have not responded to requests for comment about why they offered this particular plea deal.
