A fake nurse who pocketed more than $1million after carrying out over 2,000 bogus Botox procedures has been jailed.
Rebecca Fadanelli, 40, deceived around 900 clients while injecting them with counterfeit cosmetic products imported from China and Brazil.
Some of her victims were hospitalised after suffering horrific side effects including infections, facial and eye paralysis, double vision and impaired eyesight.
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Fadanelli, from Stoughton, Massachusetts, falsely claimed to be a registered nurse despite having no licence to perform injections or administer prescription drugs.
She has now been jailed for 46 months followed by two years of supervised release, as reported by Need To Know.
Fadanelli was sentenced at a federal court in Boston on 2 September and ordered to pay $1,001,562 (£740,000) in restitution and the same amount in forfeiture.
She owned and operated Skin Beaute Med Spa, which had locations in Randolph and South Easton, Massachusetts.
From at least March 2021, Fadanelli falsely represented herself to clients and employees as a registered nurse.
She was never legally licensed to perform injections or dispense or administer prescription drugs or devices.
Fadanelli also told clients she was using Botox and FDA-approved dermal fillers including Sculptra, Restylane and Juvéderm.
But prosecutors said she was actually using counterfeit versions imported from China and Brazil.
She continued operating despite authorities seizing counterfeit goods addressed to her.
Searches of her businesses in June 2024 uncovered counterfeit products and she was arrested that November.
Investigators discovered she had received more than $1million in payments from clients for her fraudulent treatments.
A number of her clients suffered adverse health effects, with some requiring hospital treatment.
Reported complications included severe swelling, infections, facial and eye paralysis, double vision, impaired eyesight and hard lumps or nodules.
Fadanelli pleaded guilty in April to four counts of importing merchandise contrary to law, two counts of selling or dispensing a counterfeit drug and two counts of selling or dispensing a counterfeit device.
US Attorney Leah B. Foley said: “This was not a mistake or a one-time lapse in judgment.
“Rebecca Fadanelli built a business on deception and repeatedly put profit ahead of the health and safety of the people who trusted her.
“She lied about being a nurse, injected counterfeit products into hundreds of clients even after federal authorities seized her shipments, searched her businesses and ultimately arrested her.
“Her victims were left with infections, facial paralysis, vision problems, scars and the lasting fear of not knowing what was injected into their bodies.
“As cosmetic injections and med spas continue to grow in popularity, this case underscores a serious and growing public health threat: counterfeit products and unlicensed providers can cause devastating harm.
“Those who knowingly put consumers at risk for profit will be held accountable.”
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