Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has announced a settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for Woodbury Dental Arts, a dental clinic that closed in March 2024 and filed for bankruptcy. The agreement allows former patients to seek refunds through the Consumer Protection Restitution Account (CPRA) for dental services they paid for but did not receive.
Woodbury Dental Arts, operated by Marko Kamel, ceased operations without notifying patients, leaving many with incomplete treatments and unreimbursed payments. The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Kamel and the clinic misled patients about his eligibility to practice and collected advance payments for services that were never provided. In November 2023, the Minnesota Board of Dentistry temporarily suspended Kamel’s license due to concerns over patient care.
“All too often, when we catch scammers, they don’t have money left to pay back the people they cheated,” said Attorney General Ellison. “That almost happened when Woodbury Dental Arts abruptly closed up shop and declared bankruptcy after accepting downpayments for costly dental procedures they would never provide. Fortunately, Minnesota’s new Consumer Protection Restitution Account gives my office the ability to put money back in the pockets of scam victims if the scammer themselves is unable to pay. I’m glad we can compensate those Minnesotans who lost so much when Woodbury Dental Arts shut its doors. The Consumer Protection Restitution Account is an outstanding new tool in our toolbox that will really aid our mission of helping Minnesotans afford their lives. As an additional measure, I hope that lenders agree to refund payments made by these victims and forgive their debts. I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this happen, from the legislators who got the CPRA signed into law to our partners on the Board of Dentistry to the Chapter 7 trustee whose commitment to getting people their money back was unwavering. This is a good day for people wronged by Woodbury Dental Arts, and for Minnesotans overall now that the CPRA is up and running and ready to support scam victims.”
The settlement enables consumers who paid out-of-pocket fees for unfinished or unprovided dental work before March 2024 to apply for refunds from funds held in trust by the Attorney General’s Office. Consumers identified as eligible will be notified by email or letter within a week and must submit claims within 60 days of receiving notice. They need to provide proof of payment and confirm which services were not completed.
Marko Kamel has surrendered his Minnesota dentist license as part of an order with the Board of Dentistry; he cannot reapply for at least ten years and would face a $500,000 civil penalty if he seeks reinstatement in future. His California dental license was revoked in May 2025.
“The Board’s disciplinary action against Mr. Kamel’s license reaffirms the Board’s unfailing commitment to promoting and protecting public health and safety in dentistry for all Minnesotans. The Board’s decision ensures accountability for violations of state law while safeguarding the public interest for years to come,” said Bridgett Anderson, Executive Director of the Minnesota Board of Dentistry. “And while the surrender of Mr. Kamel’s license marks a resolution of the Board’s licensing matter, the Board is pleased that the continuing work of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and his team may afford patients an opportunity to seek compensation.”
The CPRA was created earlier this year following legislative approval at Attorney General Ellison’s request as a dedicated fund intended specifically for consumer restitution where companies are bankrupt or otherwise unable to pay affected individuals directly.
Before creation of this account, any penalties or undistributed restitution recovered through consumer protection settlements would go into Minnesota’s general fund rather than being distributed directly back to harmed consumers.
Patients who believe they may be entitled to compensation but do not receive notification are encouraged by officials to contact either woodburydental@ag.state.mn.us or call (612) 429-7130.
The Minnesota Board of Dentistry continues its oversight role regarding dentist conduct statewide; it investigates complaints related to professional standards or ethics violations among practitioners (https://mn.gov/boards/dentistry).
