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Creative Closets of Allentown coming to Northeast PA Home Showcase at Mohegan Sun Pocono Hotel and Convention Center

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Luzerne County Prison worker Louis Elmy facing felony drug charge

<p>PITTSTON TWP. &#8212; A Delaware County dentist has dropped a class-action lawsuit filed less than 10 days ago against Benco Dental, according to documents filed Friday in federal court.</p><p>Dr. Sander I. White, who practices out of Broomall in Southeastern Pennsylvania, alleged in the suit filed Feb. 10 that Benco conspired with Patterson Companies Inc., of Minnesota, and Henry Schein Inc., of New York, in a scheme to inflate prices of dental supplies above competitive levels by pressuring dental associations not to deal with newer, cheaper distributors.</p><p>The three distributors, whose combined sales make up 80 percent of the market, threatened or employed group boycotts of other dental supplies manufacturers that endorsed or partnered with its competitors in violation of federal antitrust laws, the lawsuit alleges.</p><p>Benco&#8217;s alleged anticompetitive conduct is also the subject of separate investigations by the Arizona Attorney General&#8217;s Office and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the suit alleges. A $300,000 settlement was reached last year over similar allegations made by the state of Texas, according to the suit.</p><p>A notice of voluntary dismissal filed Friday by attorney Robert S. Kitchenoff did not provide a reason for the sudden termination of the complaint, which Benco had yet to answer to in an official court filing.</p><p>Reached Friday afternoon at his Philadelphia law offices, Kitchenoff would not provide an explanation on the dismissal but indicated the suit could be refiled elsewhere. He declined to elaborate.</p><p>In a statement, Benco spokesman Charles Cohen said: &#8220;We appreciate that Dr. White dropped his lawsuit and look forward to resolving the other cases, which we believe are without merit, as quickly as possible.&#8221;</p><p>White had sought damages tripled against Benco and its co-defendants from a period of alleged anticompetitive actions beginning in at least February 2012, according to the suit.</p><p>Benco, which in 2010 opened a $30 million, 280,000-square-foot headquarters in the CenterPoint Commerce &amp; Trade Park, employs more than 1,300 nationwide at four distribution centers and 50 showrooms. It has been repeatedly recognized in the Pennsylvania &#8220;Best Places to Work&#8221; awards program.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The Benco Dental headquarters in Pittston Township. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL021816Benco1-5.jpg</photo0><caption0>The Benco Dental headquarters in Pittston Township. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Plaintiff abandons class-action lawsuit against Benco Dental