Contact:
Communications Office
NewsMedia@flhealth.gov
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Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health’s Unlicensed Activity (ULA) Unit Miami office announced that their joint investigation with the Miami Dade Police Department led to the arrest of Alex Yesith Cotes Jurado for the alleged unlicensed practice of dentistry, which is a third-degree felony and punishable by up to one year incarceration. 

The joint operation was conducted at Cotes Jurado’s place of business, The Tooth Fairy Group, Inc. located at 168 SE 1^st Street Unit 603 Miami, FL 33131, where Cotes Jurado offered to provide dental services to an undercover department of health investigator and a detective with the Miami Dade Police Department. Cotes Jurado offered to evaluate and diagnose the undercover investigators for dental services to include “veneers” for a fee of $4,500.  The Miami Dade Police Department arrested Cotes Jurado and the owner of the establishment, Francisco Javier Abadia, for practicing dentistry without a license. The department issued Cotes Jurado a Notice to Cease and Desist for practicing dentistry without a license. 

The department has several resources to combat unlicensed activity:

• Consumers are encouraged to use the department’s website flhealthsource.gov/ula where they can conveniently view the license information of their health care practitioner.
• Complaints may be filed anonymously by completing and mailing the complaint form on the Florida Department of Health’s Web site, calling 1-877-HALT-ULA, or emailing HALTULA@flhealth.gov.

The department’s Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) investigates and refers for prosecution all unlicensed health care activity complaints and allegations. The ULA Unit works in conjunction with law enforcement and the state attorney’s offices to prosecute individuals practicing without a license. In many instances, unlicensed activity is a felony level criminal offense. More importantly, receiving health care from unlicensed people is dangerous and could result in further injury, disease or even death.      

Working in conjunction with 22 boards and six councils, MQA regulates seven types of facilities and 200-plus license types in more than 40 health care professions. MQA evaluates the credentials of all applicants for licensure, issues licenses, analyzes and investigates complaints, inspects facilities, assists in prosecuting practice act violations, combats unlicensed activity and provides credential and discipline history about licensees to the public. Visit: https://flhealthsource.gov for additional information about MQA.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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