Police: Undercover Operation Catches Woman Practicing Medicine Without License At Surfside Spa
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – An undercover operation has landed a 59-year-old Hallandale Beach woman in jail accused of practicing medicine without a license.
Police say Alicia Giser tried giving Botox and Juvaderm injections to undercover officers at a Surfside medical spa.
"We received a complaint from the Florida Department of Health that we have a person working in our city unlicensed so we began an investigation together with the Miami-Dade Police Department Medical Crimes unit," said Surfside Police Department Sgt. Marian Cruz.
According to Surfside Police, undercover officers paid a visit to Lemel Medical Spa on 94th and Harding Avenue Wednesday night and Giser "diagnosed and offered to treat an undercover's lip area with Juvederm injections for the price of $750, and Botox injections on two facial areas for$525."
"She claims to be a doctor in Argentina, the country that she is from and she's licensed in Argentina and she admitted that she is not licensed to perform any medical procedures in the state of Florida," said Sgt. Cruz.
Police say Giser was also in possession of "....one prefilled syringe of Juvederm, one bottle of Botox, and one ampule of Lidocaine, all three being prescription drugs," something "she does not have a valid prescription for."
According to police Giser says she's worked at Lemel Medical Spa for nine months and she's she's administered Juvederm and Botox to many patients.
Police are asking anyone who got the injections from Giser to contact them as they stress the importance for anyone getting any type of procedure to check if the person is licensed. Surfside police says you can do so at flhealthsource.gov.
"It's important to check because your health depends on it. A lot of people could become injured, seriously and even causing death," said Sgt. Cruz.
Giser is charged with practicing medicine without a license and three counts of possession of prescription drugs with intent to sell. She was also fined by the Florida Department of Health.
Surfside Police says code enforcement has opened up an investigation into Lemel Medical Spa.
