19 hours ago
Frederick dentist expected to return to practice after 90-day jail sentence
A Frederick dentist is expected to return to his practice after serving a jail sentence, according to his office.
Dr. Brian Motz, 45, who lives near Myersville, began serving his 90-day jail sentence at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center on April 25 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of misusing a phone to repeatedly call and harass his ex-fiancee.
The entrance to Motz's practice, Monocacy Valley Dental on Thomas Johnson Drive, was locked when Frederick News-Post reporters visited on Monday. A receptionist who answered the door said the practice was closed.
A receptionist told News-Post reporters on Monday that the practice will reopen June 17, when Motz returns from a 'leave of absence.'
A voicemail greeting from the dental practice also states that normal operating hours will resume June 17.
The News-Post left Motz two messages on Friday at a phone number listed as his in court documents, but did not receive a response. A message left for him at the dental practice on Friday was not immediately returned.
Motz's attorney, Caroline Norman Frost, declined to comment on the case when reached by a News-Post reporter by phone on Thursday afternoon.
According to court records, Motz was sentenced to serve his 90-day sentence on weekends, meaning he reports to jail Friday evenings and is released on Sunday evenings.
Weekend incarceration allows individuals to maintain aspects of work and personal life while serving their sentence.
However, when reached by phone on the morning of Friday, June 6, and again on Wednesday, a woman who answered the phone at the detention center said Motz was there both days.
When asked if Motz's sentence to serve time on weekends was altered, the woman said she couldn't answer questions about his sentence.
In addition to the telephone misuse charge, a grand jury indicted Motz on four additional charges: electronic communication with the intent to harass, repeated conduct of harassment, possession of cocaine and the use of a credit card without authorization.
According to Frederick County State's Attorney's Office spokesperson Jacqueline Rottmann, the state declined to prosecute Motz on four of his five charges through an agreement reached prior to his plea hearing.
The harassment charge to which Motz pleaded guilty was related to incidents in August and September 2023 involving the ex-fiancée.
Court documents do not provide more details on the circumstances that led to the charge to which he pleaded guilty.
A sentencing memorandum seeking probation, filed in April, states: 'This offense occurred during a period of extreme personal and emotional distress for Dr. Motz.'
In 2023, Motz was charged in connection with a separate alleged telephone misuse offense in Washington County involving a different woman who was his ex-girlfriend. He entered an Alford plea in that case. An Alford plea is not an admission of guilt, but an acknowledgment that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict at trial.
Motz received probation before judgment, meaning as long as he completes the probation successfully, his record will not reflect a conviction.
The Washington County judge sentenced Motz to one year of supervised probation and a $500 fine.
In Motz's sentencing memorandum for the Frederick County case, Frost told the court: 'A criminal conviction — even a misdemeanor — may trigger formal disciplinary proceedings by the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners.'
Section 4–315 of Maryland code states that the Board may place sanctions such as suspensions, revocation of licenses, probation and reprimands on violators of the code. A violation includes, among other reasons, a licensee who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a crime involving 'moral turpitude.'
According to Maryland's health occupations code, moral turpitude includes 'conduct that may undermine public trust.'
The Maryland Board of Dental Examiners website does not reflect any action being taken against Motz's dental license under the public disciplinary orders, as of Friday afternoon.
The News-Post asked the Maryland Board of Dental Examiners if it was aware of Motz's jail sentence and if there has been a board investigation.
David McCallister, a public information officer for the board, declined to comment, stating that the board 'does not comment on investigations, or investigations that are ongoing.'
Motz founded Monocacy Valley Dental in 2012 and is the sole owner and operator. According to his sentencing memorandum, he has also volunteered as a staff dentist at Citizens Nursing Home in Frederick for over a decade, providing free dental care to elderly residents.
Motz's memorandum states that he 'is more than an employer — he is a mentor, a guide and a pillar of stability for a team of 12 staff members.' His employees describe him as 'a life-changing figure who gave them careers, stability and purpose,' the memorandum says.
Motz's attorney argued in the memorandum that his incarceration would cause the practice to close indefinitely, causing employees to lose health benefits and income and a 'ripple effect that will devastate multiple Frederick County households.'
After serving his sentence, Motz will be on supervised probation for five years, according to court documents.
The Frederick County Sheriff's Office and the Frederick County State's Attorney Office declined to comment on Motz's sentence.
