NORWICH – A pair of men accused of running an unlicensed dentist’s office in Afton pleaded not guilty to charges of third degree grand larceny – a class D felony – and unauthorized practice – a class E felony – in Chenango County Court on Monday.

Victor Nino, 58, of Uniondale, and Virgillio Taveras, 49, of Queens, were arrested by New York State Police and the New York State Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in early May following an investigation into an alleged insurance fraud scheme and the practice of dentistry without a license at the Dental Care office, county Rt. 39 in Afton.

Attorneys for both Nino and Taveras entered a plea of not guilty yesterday, and the pair remain out on a $40,000 property bond.