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Unlicensed dentist arrested
• Bulmaro Borralies of Wadley made housecalls and pulled teeth, but had no license to practice, officers said
By Ben Nelms
Staff Writer
The recent experience of two Jefferson County residents gives new meaning to the phrase "house call."
Problems with the dental procedures performed by a man claiming to be a dentist resulted in the April 5 arrest of two Wadley men.
Twenty-seven year-old Bulmaro Perez Borralies was charged with practicing dentistry without a license. Facing the same charge was 21 year-old Ervin Sanchez Ventura who acted as Borralies' assistant.
Officers with Jefferson County Sheriff's Office initiated an investigation after receiving questions and complaints from local doctors and pharmacists relating to the alleged dental procedures.
They told investigators patients had contacted them requesting medication or additional treatment following dental work done by a Hispanic man passing himself off as a dentist, investigators said.
Patients said the man had filled or pulled teeth and had used a syringe to inject a local anesthetic either at his residence or at theirs.
During the investigation, officers determined that the men had also performed dental procedures in Washington, Emanuel and Toombs counties.
One person allegedly treated by Borralies was determined by another dentist to have permanent nerve damage after receiving a numbing injection incorrectly, investigators said. Another person allegedly receiving treatment was identified after visiting a pharmacy seeking medication for swelling after having a tooth pulled by Borralies.
Investigators verified the complaints and arranged for an undercover operative with a missing filling to make an appointment with Borralies on April 4.
Borralies told the operative he had another appointment in Vidalia and would be unable to arrive for the appointment on SR 171 near Louisville until after 11 p.m.
Investigators said Borralies and Ventura arrived at the address at 11:30 p.m. Unaware that officers were present in and around the house or that audio and video equipment were present, the men entered and began speaking with the undercover operative.
Borralies examined the operative and quoted a $50 price for the house call and procedure, suggesting that the tooth be pulled instead of filled.
Upon being asked what type of numbing agent would be used for pain, Borralies removed a vial of lidocaine from his bag, investigators said. Officers moved into the room as Borralies was set to administer the injection. Borralies and Ventura were taken into custody.
After the arrest investigators confiscated two leather bags full of dental supplies and equipment, some of which was obviously dirty.
Included in the bags was a portable Dremel tool with various attachments, a syringe and needles, a large quantity of lidocaine solution, a bag of what appeared to be amalgam for fillings, a small bottle of mercury, containers of dental cement, nearly two dozen dental instruments, dental pliers, a pair of needle nose pliers, plastic molds, alcohol wipes and bandages. The labels on the medications and other items were in Spanish. Borralies told investigators they were obtained in Mexico.
During the interview with investigators, Borralies said he had performed dental procedures in the area for approximately one year, both at his Wadley residence and through house calls. His customary charge for procedures was $50. Though initially claiming to have obtained a license to practice dentistry in Mexico, Borralies later said he had been employed as a dental assistant.
Borralies and Ventura were charged with practicing dentistry without a license and each was subject to a $3,000 cash bond.
Glascock County officials move offices this week
• For about a year, Glascock's county offices will be located at the old school
By Ben Nelms
Staff Writer
For the county offices located in the Glascock County courthouse in Gibson it has become a matter of out with the old and in with the new, at least temporarily.
County offices moved up the street to the old school last week and workers are fast completing the process that will relocate much of county government for approximately one year while the courthouse is being renovated.
Preliminary inspection work on the courthouse had just begun early last week when a substantial amount of mold was discovered behind some of the panels, according to commissioners and renovation supervisor Mark Teresi. The find prompted a quick move that was largely completed later in the week.
County offices were scheduled to be temporarily relocated after the state fire marshal approved the site April 2. The speed of the move was ratcheted up once the mold was discovered. Exposure to the mold reportedly led to breathing difficulty in some of courthouse employees, resulting in masks being worn as a precaution. Courthouse doors were posted and residents were asked to avoid entering the building.
Commissioners agreed last week to lease the old school from owners HSW for $2,000 per month for a period of two years. A condition of the lease states that the full $48,000 will be paid even though the renovation period is anticipated to require approximately one year to complete. Commissioners agreed to pay owners an additional $18,000 for renovation of the temporary courtroom after the court system mandated changes not initially required.
"The additional dollars would have had to be spent because of what the court required," said Commission Jay Dixon.
The courthouse renovation is funded by a voter-approved one-percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Provisions of the one-percent tax allows expenses incurred during the renovation, such as lease payments and related expenditures, to be paid through SPLOST funds.
Concerning the upcoming election cycle, Probate Judge Denise Dallas said Monday that the April qualifying will be held in her temporary office at the old school.
Escalating annual costs at the landfill and the need for serious discussion to halt the monetary hemorrhage has been proposed by citizens, county auditors and some on the commission since shortly after it opened in January 1999.
Addressing the ongoing work on the county's proposed zoning ordinance, commissioners set dates to begin the public process designed to lead to its adoption. Public meetings will be held April 29 at 7 p.m. and on May 13 at 7 p.m. at the courthouse.
On another issue, commissioners agreed to review a resolution recently adopted by the Emanuel County Commission addressing the application of raw sewage onto property apparently for use as a fertilizer. The material was described by county attorney Mickey Moses as being composed of the contents of septic tanks. Bryan suggested that commissioners review the resolution and discuss it at the April 20 regular session.
Glascock County Courthouse renovations begin
By Ben Nelms
Staff Writer
The time has finally come to begin the renovation of the Glascock County courthouse. Years of planning and the passage of a one-percent sales tax led last week to what will result in the restoration of 1918 classic.
The relocation of county offices to the old school in Gibson began last week and is nearly finished. Preliminary inspections at the courthouse by the contractor have begun.
Atlanta-based Boykin Construction, one of four bidders, provided the lowest bid on the $1,056,000 renovation project. The renovation is expected to require approximately one year to complete. The renovation bid does not include furnishings.
Commissioners voted to accept the low bid but instructed architect Ben Carter to meet with the builder in an effort to decrease the price by value engineering.
Commissioner Jay Dixon said value engineering should result in significant cost reduction of as much as 10-15 percent without risking the integrity of the project.
Once completed, the courthouse will largely serve as a judicial building, commissioners said.
Though not visible, a main feature of the renovation will be the installation of central heating and air conditioning.
Offices of the magistrate judge, probate judge and clerk of the court will be located downstairs.
The amount of square footage for the clerk of the court and probate offices, including office and storage space, will be increased substantially.
Square footage for the magistrate office will largely remain the same.
An elevator will be added in the area across from the magistrate office in what is now the election office.
Accommodations upstairs will include plaster walls and a pressed tin ceiling in the courtroom.
Benches will be restored and padded and an area in the rear of the courtroom will be made into a law library.
Included in the upstairs project will be judge's chambers, a witness conference room, a new jury box, a lead-lined jury deliberation room and restroom and a holding room for prisoners. Also included will be a permanent stairway to the attic.
The renovation project extends beyond the interior of the building.
The front doors of the building will be rebuilt. The structure will be painted red and will be offset with white cornices and trim.
Though the color has not been determined, architectural shingle roofing will top off the building.
The courthouse grounds are also destined for a new look. Landscaping on the grounds will include Bermuda grass, boxwoods, azaleas, India hawthorn, sasanqua and Carissa holly.
The courthouse renovation project is funded by a voter-approved one-percent Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The amount set as the collection limit is $1.5 million, with just over $700,000 collected so far.
The five-year term will expire in 2005. SPLOST sales taxes have a maximum collection period of five years unless the ceiling amount is collected prior to the termination date.
Commissioners have said they will explore extending the one-percent tax because the amount needed for the project will likely not be collected by the expiration date.
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Officers display tools confiscated from Bularmo Borralies, a Wadley man who has reportedly been performing dental work without a license on local residents in their homes. Among his equipment was a Dremel rotary tool and a comon pair of needle nose pliers.