Despite the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C. pushing for a sentencing of renegade dentist David (Tung Sheng) Wu, the judge is giving him a chance to attend the next court date on Oct. 9.
Early Tuesday morning, B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Austin Cullen decided not to sentence Wu who was absent from the court proceedings. The dentist organization is seeking a combination sentence including jail time and a stiff fine.
"This guy is a predator and needs to be stopped," Jerome Marburg, college of dental surgeons CEO, told the Burnaby NOW. "I think it's a pretty strong signal the court is sending. They're obviously inclined to go our way with a stiff penalty, which could include jail time and a fine."
From what the organization's investigation concluded, Marburg said, it appeared Wu was preparing to set up shop again this past summer - despite the court order against him filed earlier.
"While it's a bit frustrating, somebody's liberty is at stake and (they'll) take the time," he added.
As for Wu's whereabouts, Marburg said he wished he could answer the question.
"We think he's still around," he added. "We've chased down every lead we have ... and the fact that there's a $2,000 award and the fact the guy deserves to be stopped, (but) we don't have a lot of new leads.
It's a fact of life that if someone wants to hide, they can."
According to the dental college affidavits obtained by the Burnaby NOW, private investigator Michael Lantz seized Wu's Acura RDX on Aug. 15 and searched it.
"Among the items that I located in the vehicle were the defendant's Taiwanese and Canadian passports," he said. "Both passports were active. I located a copy of what appears to be the photograph in the defendant's Taiwanese passport."
The photograph was taken at 28 Min. Photo on 4500 Kingsway on June 9.
The Taiwanese passport was issued on June 18 and has a People's Republic of China visa inside of it - issued on July 24.
Richmond RCMP informed Lantz that on Aug. 15, a woman named Cathy Wang had made several attempts to obtain the vehicle's keys before the court warrant was issued. The RCMP had the keys at the time.
Lantz stated in the affidavit that he also searched the vehicle's GPS and one address that showed up was on “Seventh Street,” but did not specify which city.
"I attended the Seventh Street address and spoke to a male who identified himself as the owner's son," he said, noting the man recognized the picture of Wu. "This person also told me that an unknown female had attended the Seventh Street address during the week of Aug. 14, looking for the defendant and indicating that she was a patient."
Lantz contact the woman who told him it was her 10-year-old son who was the patient, and Wu was going to fit him with a retainer - which she gave Wu $200 to do.
However, when she went to pick up the retainer in mid-August, Wu was no longer at that address.
Lantz said Wu moved out of Seventh Street address the first week of August, according to the owner of the building. The owner also said Wu still owed her money under the lease he signed.
The vehicle also contained newly ordered dental equipment from Sinclair Dental Supply Co. Ltd. to Joey Tseng in Port Coquitlam, the owner of Prairie Dental Clinic.
Tseng admitted he had provided specific dental supplies to Wu, but had not heard from him in several months.
Marburg noted his organization continues to call on the public to come forward with tips, and former patients to get checked out by a registered dentist.
For more information, visit www.cdsbc.org.
