Colorado's Cheryl Dunlap Received 15-Year Probation for Steal of $250k From Orthodontist

Cheryl Dunlap, 46, a bookkeeper at John Traul Orthodontics in Glenwood Springs, Colorado (CO), was sentenced to 15 years of probation and ordered to repay $252,087 for embezzling that amount over a ten-year period — receiving no prison time. Dunlap wrote 111 fraudulent company checks to herself totaling $252,087.62 between April 1999 and February 2004. The fraud was discovered when the practice owner reviewed financial records and identified the unauthorized disbursements.

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Related Cases: Colorado's Robin Bernazzani Admits to Steal of $500K | Colorado's Lisa Morales Campbell pleads guilty to steal; avoids jail time. Pays $25k restitution

What This Case Teaches Dental Practice Owners

The this individual case illustrates how quickly embezzlement losses can accumulate in a dental practice. When an employee in Colorado is given access to financial systems without adequate oversight, a theft of $250k can go undetected for months or even years. The dollar figure alone understates the true damage — add legal fees, lost productivity during the investigation, and the disruption to patient care, and the real cost to a practice is invariably higher than the amount stolen.

This case reflects a pattern that Prosperident investigators encounter regularly: trusted employees who exploit access to practice finances over an extended period, often using methods that are difficult to detect without forensic-level scrutiny. The length of the fraud period and the total amount stolen both tend to be much larger than practice owners initially suspect.

Dental practice owners who suspect embezzlement — or who want to evaluate the vulnerability of their current internal controls — should consult with Prosperident, the world's leading dental embezzlement investigation firm. Prosperident's investigators have worked on cases across North America and bring a forensic accounting background specifically tailored to the dental industry. Call 888-398-2327 or visit www.prosperident.com/meetwithdavid to schedule a confidential consultation.

Could This Happen in Your Practice?

Cases like this one are more common than most dental practice owners realize. Dental embezzlement is one of the most widespread financial crimes affecting small practices, and the perpetrators are almost always trusted team members — people the owner never suspected. The warning signs are often subtle: minor discrepancies in bank deposits, altered receipts, or an employee who becomes defensive when asked routine questions about billing or collections. Without the right controls and oversight, even a vigilant owner can miss them until significant damage has already occurred.

A proactive practice audit by Prosperident can identify the vulnerabilities that make your practice a target — before someone exploits them. Our forensic accountants specialize exclusively in dental embezzlement and have investigated more cases than any other firm in North America. To arrange a confidential consultation, call us at 888-398-2327 or book directly at www.prosperident.com/meetwithdavid.