Dentists accused of unlicensed practice

By Denise Dick

The Ohio State Dental Board is conducting a probe.

BOARDMAN — Two dentists are charged with practicing without a license and a third with permitting dentistry without a license at a South Avenue dental office.

Police charged Dr. James M. Gentile, 49, of Southwind Trail, Poland, with two counts of permitting dentistry without a license. Jeffrey Melia, 33, of New Road, Austintown, and Ronald Mangie, 71, of Joyce Ann Drive, Canfield, are charged with one count each of practicing dentistry without a license. All three were arrested Thursday morning, and all of the charges are misdemeanors.

They are scheduled for arraignment Tuesday morning in Mahoning County Area Court here.

Neither Dr. Gentile nor Mangie could be reached, and Melia declined to comment.

Police Chief Patrick Berarducci said that about a month ago the Ohio State Dental Board contacted police after getting a complaint from a woman who had visited Youngstown Dental, South Avenue, and was unsatisfied with the care she received.

“They asked for our help” in the investigation, the chief said.

The dentist who performed initial work on the woman is not charged.

Lili Reitz, executive director of the state dental board, said that Dr. Gentile is a licensed dentist, Mangie formerly had a dental license that was revoked in 2002 and Melia is a dental assistant with a license to take X-rays.

The dental board also is conducting an administrative investigation into the alleged conduct of Dr. Gentile and Melia. Mangie isn’t licensed through the board so it has no jurisdiction over him, she said.

If the administrative investigation determines that either man operated outside of the scope of his license or committed other violations of the dental practice act, the board could issue a reprimand or impose probation, suspension or license revocation, the executive director said.

Because dental board investigations are confidential until an individual is formerly charged, Reitz declined to say what the three are accused of doing that prompted the investigation.

This isn’t the first time either Dr. Gentile or Mangie has been in trouble with the board or the law.

In 1994, Dr. Gentile was found guilty in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court of 10 counts of attempted aggravated trafficking in drugs and 10 counts of illegal processing of drug documents, all felonies.

Under a consent agreement between the board and Dr. Gentile in 1994, his license to practice dentistry was placed on probation for five years, he agreed to random drug and alcohol screenings and not to practice until his physicians determined he was mentally and physically ready to resume the practice of dentistry, according to documents on the dental board’s Web site.

In 2000, Mangie pleaded guilty and was convicted in U.S. District Court of five felonies including the defrauding of $1.8 million from elderly patients, obtaining loans through fraudulent applications, filing false tax returns and failing to account for a controlled substance, Vindicator files show.

He was sentenced to five years in prison, ordered to pay $307,000 in restitution and to pay income taxes owed, according to documents on the dental board Web site. The dental board revoked his license.