37-year-old Elva Navarro, owner of Bella Face and Beauty Spa in Hidalgo, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly offering illegal injections to customers according to an FBI statement. She is accused of violating Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and allegedly failing to disclose to customers on the substance that she was injecting. If found guilty, Navarro could spend up to three years in prison and face a $10,000 fine.
The spa owner was apprehended after a female customer complained of pain following injections from Navarro. The female ultimately spent 17 days at a hospital, recovering from damage caused by injections that cost her $750, according to the Harlingen Morning Star. The hospitalized woman had been injected with “liquid silicone” and as a result, had to undergo several corrective surgeries.
An indictment, unsealed on March 19, accuses Navarro of regularly injecting her customers with a plastic-based liquid that had not been approved by the FDA. It is unclear at this point how many individuals Navarro allegedly injected.
Navarro has a relatively extensive criminal history according to the McAllen Monitor. In November 2013, she was reportedly arrested for practicing medicine with no license. Then in 2012, she was reportedly arrested for allegedly kidnapping a female student and holding her ransom. Navarro’s husband, Miguel Angel Navarro, is a co-defendant in the kidnapping case. Mrs. Navarro will appear in court to face the kidnapping charge on April 17. Her husbands’ sentencing is on April 10, according to the Monitor.
In the case relating to the alleged illegal injections, the official charges against Navarro are obtaining an adulterated device and misbranding a device, according to the FBI release.
Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate
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