A suburban Los Angeles woman faces federal charges for allegedly injecting an unknown substance into a patient's buttocks during an unapproved body contouring procedure, according to a notification from the Department of Justice.
Here are four things to know.
- Federal officials on Thursday took Ana Bertha Diaz Hernandez into custody after a criminal complaint was filed the day prior. Law enforcement charged Ms. Diaz with the receipt of an adulterated and misbranded medical device, as well as smuggling and misbranding prescription drugs.
- The patient, identified as "I.T." in an affidavit, filed a complaint with the California Medical Board after the substance Ms. Diaz injected into her buttocks spread throughout her body, forcing her to undergo a major operation to undo the procedure, according to the report.
- Ms. Diaz told the patient the substance was a "natural product" and charged thousands of dollars for the procedure, according to the DOJ report. Federal officials said the substance might have actually been silicone, which is not approved for use in body countering procedures.
- If convicted of the three felony charges, Ms. Diaz could face up to 26 years in prison.'
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