January 11, 2011
Office of The Attorney General
– Paula T. Dow, Attorney General
Division of Consumer Affairs
– Thomas R. Calcagni, Acting Director
Media Inquiries-
Jeff Lamm
973-504-6327
Citizen Inquiries-
609-292-4925
Division of Consumer Affairs and South Plainfield Police Arrest Woman for Unlicensed Practice of Medicine
NEWARK – A woman who offered cosmetic procedures, including derriere augmentation and facial wrinkle removal to the public, has been arrested and charged with unlicensed practice of medicine, following an undercover investigation by the Division of Consumer Affairs’ Enforcement Bureau and the South Plainfield Police Department.
Police arrested Yamile Mattos, 47, at her Park Avenue home today after undercover investigators came to the residence’s garage that had been converted into an office. Mattos also was charged with possession with intent to distribute a prescription drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Mattos allegedly offered to provide Botox injections to remove wrinkles, in addition to injections to augment the derriere of a female undercover investigator.
“Medical procedures performed by unlicensed individuals put the public at unnecessary risk,” Attorney General Paula T. Dow said. “We know of one case where the patient died following cosmetic surgery performed by someone other than a licensed physician.”
A Marlboro woman in November 2007 was found dead inside a Rahway residence where she apparently had undergone cosmetic surgery by an unlicensed person. Six women in northern New Jersey were hospitalized last year after receiving injections for derriere augmentation given to them in hotel rooms. Infections resulted following injections of unknown substances.
“The health risks are very real, and I want to commend the South Plainfield Police Department for working with us,” said Thomas R. Calcagni, Acting Director of the State Division of Consumer Affairs. “An unlicensed person, injecting who knows what into your body, is something we will not tolerate.”
Detective Anthony Pacillo lead the investigation, assisted by Sgt. Dan Noonan and investigators from Consumer Affairs’ Enforcement Bureau.
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