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Bronx DA Drills Riverdale Woman Accused of Being Fake Dentist

By Eddie Small | April 16, 2015 6:00pm
 Yzeiraj pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and unauthorized practice in court on Thursday.
Yzeiraj pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and unauthorized practice in court on Thursday.
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DNAinfo/Eddie Small

THE BRONX — An Riverdale dentist's receptionist was drilled Thursday for performing root canals and other procedures without a license, the Bronx District Attorney's office said Thursday.

Valbona Yzeiraj, 45, who pleaded not guilty to assault, reckless endangerment and attempted grand larceny at her arraignment, tended to patients at Dr. Jeffrey Schoengold's dental practice on Independence Avenue when he was not around, prosecutors said.

Yzeiraj, who called herself "Dr. Val," claimed she had received dental training in her home country of Albania, but admitted she was not licensed or trained in the United States, according to the DA.

Assistant District Attorney Patrick McCadden said that most of her patients were Albanian as well.

"She primarily worked on victims who were part of her own Albanian community and preyed on their vulnerabilities," he said.

Yzeiraj saw clients from late 2012 to the summer of 2013 and performed dental procedures on them including x-rays and root canals, at least one of which caused an infection, prosecutors charge.

Schoengold fired her when he found out, and she tried to take $20,000 from the practice when she left, according to McCadden.

Yzeiraj came to court dressed in a gray shirt and green jacket, and she did not speak throughout the proceedings apart from her plea of "not guilty."

Bail was set at $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond. Yzeiraj is due back in court on May 28 and faces up to seven years behind bars if convicted.

Her lawyer Corey Sokoler described Yzeiraj as a "law abiding citizen" and adamantly maintained her innocence.

"She is not guilty," he said. "She intends to fight each and every one of these charges."