Fake Atlanta dentist scammed veneer clients out of $4M, prosecutors say
Brandon Dillard had gained social media fame for dental work on reality TV celebrities and others, but he had no qualifications, according to the indictment.After pocketing more than $4 million for shoddy work on hundreds of patients, a fake Buckhead dentist faces 110 charges, according to his indictment.
Brandon Dillard peddled his services as if he were legally allowed to perform them, and he kept a realistic-looking medical office that made it seem like his dental practice was legitimate, prosecutors said in an indictment handed down Nov. 21.
Starting in 2021, he installed veneers, did fillings and removed braces, among other things, all without a license, until he was arrested in October 2024, prosecutors said. His victims complained of chipped or broken teeth, abscesses, tooth pain and sensitivity, discoloration and more, according to the indictment.
The charges against Dillard include theft, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, drug possession and commercial gambling, plus violation of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Dillard had become popular on social media for the dental work he’d done on influencers and reality TV stars like Gia “Rollie Pollie” Mayham from Zeus’ “Baddies” franchise. He’d touted himself as a “veneer tech,” but dental professional associations say there’s no such thing.
In 2024, the American Dental Association addressed the trend of “veneer techs” in a press release, saying “any dental procedure that may alter the physical structure of an individual’s teeth, gums or jaws, without the supervision of a dentist, has the potential to cause irreversible harm.” The organization listed infection and nerve damage as potential risks.
Earlier this year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with Memphis resident Jerald Applewhite who said he paid $7,500 to have Dillard install his veneers in July 2024. Within a month, Applewhite claimed he bit into a graham cracker and several of the veneers fell out.
By the time he returned to Atlanta for a follow-up appointment in October, Dillard had been arrested.
Applewhite still has an active lawsuit against Dillard. He is seeking $20,000.
A forfeiture complaint filed by the county last year alleged that Dillard worked alongside a “romantic partner”
to illegally install veneers.The recent indictment also includes this claim, but adds a former-prosecutor-turned-attorney to Dillard’s list of reported associates, too.
The attorney allegedly “advised Dillard and others on concealing the enterprise’s crimes from the Georgia Board of Dentistry and other regulatory agencies.”
In two instances, the attorney sent cease-and-desist letters on behalf of Dillard that threatened legal action against two people who sought to expose the “veneer tech” as fraudulent, prosecutors said.
Elias Mauricio Soto Moreno is also charged with violating Georgia’s RICO law in the indictment. Prosecutors say Moreno is licensed to practice dentistry in the Republic of Colombia, but not in Georgia.
Prosecutors say Soto Moreno helped Dillard run training courses to teach other people how to do veneer work, charging participants $6,000 apiece and giving them the impression they’d be able to legally perform the procedures after the class.
Dillard is set to be arraigned on January 26.
Fake Atlanta dentist scammed veneer clients out of $4M, prosecutors say
Brandon Dillard peddled his services as if he were legally allowed to perform them, and kept a realistic-looking dental office that made it seem like his practice was legit.
