Rogue dentist no-show for last hearing, may get prison time
Tung Sheng "David" Wu
For the past few weeks, DentistryIQ has been following the case of Canadian dentist Tung Sheng “David” Wu, who has been accused of practicing without a license in unsafe, unsanitary conditions.
Wu was previously banned in 2003 from practicing dentistry without a license.
In May, after receiving a complaint from a former patient of Wu’s, the British Columbia Supreme Court raided Wu’s clinic and discovered dirty equipment as well as drugs purchased online.
Wu then tried to flee the country but his car was seized near the Vancouver airport. His passports and some dental equipment were taken, but Wu escaped. A private investigator hired by the College of Dental Surgeons believes that Wu is still somewhere in Canada. Finds from the investigation, however, indicate that Wu may be preparing to escape overseas—he has deposited large amounts of money in offshore accounts, and before his car was seized, he appeared to be intending to ship the vehicle to China via Toronto.
On Wednesday, Wu was scheduled to appear before the court in one last hearing opportunity before the sentencing, but he never showed.
The lawyer representing the College of Dental Surgeons, Brent Olthuis, has recommended that Wu should be convicted of criminal (as opposed to civil) contempt, and should serve four to six months in prison as punishment.
Olthuis also said that if the justice hearing the case decides to issue a fine instead of a prison sentence, the fine should be paid directly to the college to offset the more than $130,000 the college has shelled out to fund the investigation.
Health officials had contacted more than 450 of Wu’s patients and advised them to be checked for blood-borne pathogens. As of Wednesday, all the preliminary test results had come back negative.
The Supreme Court justice presiding over the case, Austin Cullen, is expected to make a final decision on Tuesday.
For more information on these latest developments, read these articles:
For more information on the case from DentistryIQ, read these articles:
A fugitive dentist in British Columbia must turn himself in
Bogus dentist still on the run
