Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on May 1 that his office has issued the first round of refund checks to consumers who lost money after Woodbury Dental Arts, a former dental clinic owned by Marko Kamel, closed and failed to provide promised services.
The announcement is significant for affected patients who paid for dental procedures that were never completed. The refunds are possible through a settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for Woodbury Dental Arts and the use of a new Consumer Protection Restitution Account (CPRA), which was created by the legislature to help consumers recover funds from companies that have gone bankrupt or cannot otherwise pay restitution.
So far, the Attorney General’s Office has received 341 claims and sent out 76 checks totaling $1,047,209.82. An online tracker is available for the public to monitor updates on claims received, checks sent, and total refunded amounts. “When Marko Kamel lost his dental license and shut down Woodbury Dental Arts, he left a lot of Minnesotans in a terrible position,” said Attorney General Ellison. “People paid thousands of dollars upfront for procedures they never received. Some were even in the middle of multi-step dental procedures that simply had to be halted, leaving them worse off than when they began the procedure. The Minnesotans harmed here deserve restitution, and I’m pleased to have begun that process by sending out over $1 million in refund checks. My office will continue to do everything we can to protect consumers and secure justice for people across our state who have been cheated or defrauded.”
According to information provided by Ellison’s office, former patients are encouraged to contact the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office if they believe they are eligible for refunds.
The case began after Marko Kamel’s license was suspended in November 2023 due to concerns about patient safety raised by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry. Despite this suspension, Kamel continued collecting fees from patients before closing Woodbury Dental Arts without notice in March 2024—leaving many with unfinished treatments and no refunds as the business filed for bankruptcy.
The CPRA fund now allows recovered monies from such cases—previously destined for Minnesota’s general fund—to be distributed directly back to victims when direct restitution from defendants is not possible.
Ellison said his office will keep working through submitted claims as more refund checks are processed.
