Orange County DA Announces Arrest Of 'Harvard-Trained' Dentist

ORANGE COUNTY, NY — A dentist who has worked in Orange County for years is accused of tax fraud and repeated failure to file income taxes.

The case is being handled by the Orange County White Collar Crime Task Force, which was created in March 2023 to focus on the investigation and prosecution of public corruption and financial crimes.

“Taxes are a collective responsibility and we all owe our share,” said Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “Law enforcement will seek to find those who attempt to skirt their tax responsibilities and who commit fraud in order to line their own pockets. I commend the cooperation between the Department of Taxation and Finance and the Orange County White Collar Crime Task Force. Working together we can and do uncover fraud that effects all of us.”

Fernando Ehrhardt, 51, of New York, faces charges of Criminal Tax Fraud in the Third and Fourth Degrees and Repeated Failure to File Personal Income and Earnings Taxes.

District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced Friday that the "Harvard-trained dentist" had been arrested. In response to an inquiry from Patch, Senior Assistant District Attorney Ryan Greenbaum said Monday that Ehrhardt had received his dental degree from Harvard University College of Dentistry, and a masters of science degree in periodontology from Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery. He has been a licensed dentist since August 2000.

Prosecutors alleged that, during tax years 2016 through 2020, Ehrhardt was employed by several dental practices in Orange County and received income in the form of both W2 and 1099 income. He failed to file personal tax returns from 2016 through 2020.

In August 2017, a tax warrant was filed against him for nonpayment of taxes during tax years 2010-13.

He defrauded New York State of more than $13,000, prosecutors said.

As the charges were not bail eligible, Ehrhardt was released on his own recognizance after his arraignment in the Town of New Windsor Court on Thursday, the DA's office said.

Hoovler thanked the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation which led to the arrest.

The multi-agency Task Force includes investigators from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Department of Financial Services, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and several other local police agencies including the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the Village of Warwick Police Department, the Village of Goshen Police Department and the Town of Woodbury Police Department,

The Task Force’s mandate includes the investigation of residential contractor fraud; crimes involving public integrity, public corruption, and ethics violations; embezzlement and other complex theft cases, crimes against revenue; wage theft and labor law violations.

Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Amanda
Hiller said: “Our tax system has clear requirements for working individuals to file accurate and
timely returns. People who fail to do so over an extended period should expect to face serious
consequences.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tanja Beemer.

A criminal charge is merely an allegation by the police that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the DA's Office said.