Colombian National Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Injecting Silicone into Victims’ Bodies

A Colombian national was sentenced today to prison for unlawfully injecting silicone into victims’ bodies for aesthetic enhancements, without a medical license or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George M. Karavetsos, Director, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), made the announcement.

Juan David Acosta, 44, of Hallandale Beach, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Acosta previously pled guilty to two counts of receipt in interstate commerce of a misbranded device and delivery for pay with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 331(c) and 333(a)(2).

According to court record, Acosta engaged in the business of administering injections of polydimethylsiloxane, commonly referred to as silicone, into the bodies of other individuals. Acosta was paid thousands of dollars for this service. Specifically, on July 29, 2015 and again on August 9, 2015, Acosta, at his residence in the Southern District of Florida, injected silicone into the buttocks of two victims in order to affect the size, contour, and structure of that portion of the human body for aesthetic purposes. The injection of silicone into the human body in this manner, regardless of whether such injection was dispensed and administered by a licensed practitioner, requires an FDA-approved application. Acosta did not advise the victims that silicone was being injected into their bodies. Acosta is not a licensed medical practitioner and he had not received FDA approval to administer the injections.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FDA-OCI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Office Narcotics Unit, and Miami-Dade Police Department’s Medical Crimes Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Katz.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.A Colombian national was sentenced today to prison for unlawfully injecting silicone into victims’ bodies for aesthetic enhancements, without a medical license or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.