A dentist from Alaska has been sentenced to 12 years in jail after he extracted a patient's tooth while riding a hoverboard last year. The medical professional was also charged with Medicaid fraud.
Unprofessional behavior
According to the New York Post, the Anchorage Superior Court sentenced Seth Lookhart on Monday for several crimes that stemmed from his unprofessional conduct, including removing a patient's teeth without their permission.
In January, authorities convicted Lookhart with charges of reckless endangerment, illegally practicing his profession, and fraud of medical assistance. While handing how the suspect's sentence, Judge Michael Wolverton said after he reviewed Lookhart's case, the dentist nearly killed several of his patients due to the misdeeds he conducted.
One of the patients, Veronica Wilhelm, gave her testimony in court. In the footage of Lookhart extracting the tooth of a patient while riding a hoverboard, Wilhelm was the victim and was sedated during the procedure in July 2016.
The cellphone video of the dentist showed him riding away on his hoverboard and raising his hands in the air celebrating his triumphant procedure. Lookhart allegedly sent the video to at least eight acquaintances telling them it was a "new standard of care."
The suspect previously had his dental license suspended in 2017. A judge also ordered Lookhart not to practice his profession for at least ten years while his probation was ongoing after his release from prison.
On Monday, prosecutors asked the judge to order the suspect to pay $2.2 million as restitution for the fraud and embezzlement charges. However, the actual amount will be determined during a hearing scheduled for later this month, as reported by Anchorage Daily News.
Lookhart allegedly had Shauna Cranford, his former office manager, to extract a patient's tooth despite not having a license in dentistry. She accepted a consolidated plea agreement and has been scheduled to be sentenced this week.
Convicted dentist
On Tuesday, a former Lockport pediatric dentist was sentenced to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a young girl.
According to Buffalo News, 58-year-old Louis Surace from O'Connor Drive accepted the plea deal that would reduce his crime to an attempted first-degree criminal sexual act. While the charge was reduced, it remains a violent felony and gives a hefty prison term.
The State Supreme Court Justice Richard Kloch Sr. announced the suspect to five years in prison despite the possible sentences ranging from three and a half years up to 15 years. He added that his decision was in hopes that it provides closure for the alleged victim.
Adding to the prison sentence, Kloch Sr. placed Surace on parolelike postrelease supervision. The Supreme Court Justice said he would be choosing between duration of five and 15 years of supervision on November 30 when Surace will be sentenced. Before the sentencing, the suspect will remain free and will be given a $20,000 bail bond.
The assistant district attorney of Niagara County, Lisa Baehre, said Surace conducted the crime sometime between May or June 2017. However, the suspect was not arrested until January 11, 2019, when he was officially charged in the Lockport Town Court.
Surace's victim was only identified in court as a minor female and Baehre, and the defense attorneys refused to comment further.
