A former dentist who was struck off and her two adult children have avoided immediate prison time after being convicted of orchestrating a sophisticated £350,000 dental insurance fraud from their North London clinic.
The Fraudulent Operation Uncovered
The conspiracy was centred around BRL Dentos Ltd, which traded as the Diamond Dental & Medical Clinic on Regent's Park Road in Finchley. The mastermind was Bozena Rak-Latos, 63, who had previously been struck off by the General Dental Council in 2018 following a fraud conviction in Poland.
Despite her ban from practising, Rak-Latos retained control of the clinic through her children, Kacper Latos, 36, and Magdalena Latos, 33. Between August 2020 and June 2021, the trio submitted claims totalling £356,587 to insurer Simply Health, successfully receiving £141,618 in payouts.
The fraud involved creating 113 insurance policies under seven different companies. Patients were falsely registered as employees of these firms to qualify for corporate dental insurance plans they were not entitled to.
Family Roles and Concealment Attempts
Evidence presented in court showed Bozena Rak-Latos directing the scam from behind the scenes. Audio clips captured her instructing her children on how to submit claims, respond to insurer queries, and cover their tracks.
Her son, Kacper Latos, who had only registered with the General Dental Council in June 2020, began exploiting the insurance schemes almost immediately. He submitted inflated or entirely fabricated claims for himself, his parents, and other purported employees. Some payments were sent directly to his personal bank account and spent on groceries and personal expenses.
Magdalena Latos, who handled reception and marketing, played a key role in expanding the fraud. She opened a business account for a company called London Smile Design to collect patient payments and frequently contacted insurance brokers to add new members and chase claims.
When Bozena Rak-Latos learned police were investigating and contacting patients, she ordered the replacement of the clinic's computers and told her children to ensure all treatments that had been claimed for were actually completed.
Financial Motives and Court Sentencing
Investigators from the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) found the clinic was under significant financial pressure, which they believe was a primary motivator. BRL Dentos Ltd had substantial debts for unpaid council tax and business rates, with debt collection agencies assigned to recover funds. Notably, the company had received £62,724.48 in COVID-19 business support grants.
Financial records also showed that £80,000 was transferred to Poland, which Kacper Latos claimed was to repay his mother's debts. HMRC records revealed minimal declared income and no tax paid by the defendants during the fraud period.
Following a four-week trial at Wood Green Crown Court, where all three had pleaded not guilty, they were found guilty. In sentencing:
- Bozena Rak-Latos received a two-year prison term, suspended for two years, plus 180 hours of unpaid work.
- Kacper Latos was given 20 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 90 hours of unpaid work.
- Magdalena Latos received an 18-month suspended sentence for two years and must complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Trainee Detective Sergeant Alan Yau of IFED stated: "This was a deeply calculated fraud, orchestrated by a former dentist who used her professional knowledge and personal influence to manipulate both her son and daughter. Bozena Rak-Latos was not just involved - she was the driving force."
The investigation involved executing search warrants at three London addresses, seizing 22 digital devices. A safe containing £33,523.93 in cash was recovered from Bozena Rak-Latos's bedroom.
