A woman in Florida allegedly tricked a dental practice into hiring her, claiming she had a master's degree from Vanderbilt University, and took more than $63,000 from the owner, according to a story published August 24 in St. Johns Citizen.
Heather Dettra was arrested and charged with criminal use of personal identification information, grand theft, and fraudulent use of a credit card for stealing from her former employer, Dr. Robert Thousand III, an endodontist in St. Augustine, FL.
In March 2025, Thousand hired Dettra as his bookkeeper, granting her access to the practice’s financial accounts, records, and email. At the time of her hiring, Dettra allegedly provided Thousand with a certified master’s degree from Vanderbilt. Authorities confirmed the document was fake, according to the story.
In April, Thousand had his business accounts audited and discovered the alleged theft.
Authorities claim that Dettra used the dentist’s email to obtain a credit card in her name through the practice’s account. She reportedly used it to make 151 unauthorized purchases totaling $34,013, according to the story.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed Dettra using the card to pay for multiple purchases at local businesses. Additionally, she allegedly charged $16,144 to a dental practice credit card, as well as purportedly writing herself six unauthorized checks totaling $11,066, according to the story.
Before the practice’s financial records were provided to an accountant, Dettra allegedly altered the checks’ payees and memo lines to hide where the money went. A former bookkeeper’s account was reportedly used to make these changes.
Once the theft was discovered, Dettra was fired. After her termination, Dettra allegedly texted Thousand, writing that she made a “large mistake” and hoped to send him $50,000 to fix the problem, according to the story. On August 19, Thousand and his dental practice filed a lawsuit against Dettra, seeking $66,779.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
