Unlicensed woman charged hundreds for counterfeit Botox injections, Texas cops say
A woman charged clients hundreds of dollars for face injections at a Texas medical spa, but the Botox used was counterfeit, and she didn’t have the license to perform the service, prosecutors said.
The 31-year-old, working out of the Houston establishment, is charged with practicing medicine without a license, according to a criminal complaint filed on Dec. 9.
The arrest and charges stem from face injections given to a client by Alegna Delgado James, who was working at ABS Aesthetics, according to court documents.
McClatchy News reached out to ABS Aesthetics but did not immediately receive a response. Delgado James’ attorney did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Dec 12.
Delgado James is a certified medical assistant, according to court documents.
However, she needed to be supervised by someone with a more advanced medical license, such as a physician’s assistant, to administer Botox shots, John Donnelly, a spokesperson for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
No one at the business had the proper license to supervise the services, the spokesperson said.
Additionally, Donnelly said the filler the business used for clients was a counterfeit product from Korea.
Counterfeit Botox can be harmful to people that receive it, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
“Symptoms included blurred or double vision, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, constipation, incontinence, shortness of breath, weakness and difficulty lifting one’s head following injection of these products,” the FDA said on its website.
Donnelly told McClatchy News that Delgado James was charging $400 to $500 for lip injections, when the counterfeit product cost much less.
Two clients also said they were scammed out of approximately $3,400, according to Donnelly. The circumstances around the alleged scam were not known.
As of Dec. 12, Houston police were interviewing several potential victims and are searching for more, Donnelly said.
Delgado James is no longer in police custody after she posted a $5,000 bond, according to court records.
She is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 22.
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Unlicensed woman charged hundreds for counterfeit Botox injections, Texas cops say."
