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North Andover Woman Pleads Guilty To Giving Injections With Illegal Silicone Oil

BOSTON (CBS) -- A North Andover woman pleaded guilty Friday to performing illegal silicone injections for money. Seventy-two-year-old Gladys Araceli Ceron was arrested in April 2019.

According to Acting US Attorney Nathaniel Mendell, from 2004 to 2019, Ceron performed illegal bodily injections using "gluteal material" from a source in Florida at her Lawrence business. Lab tests showed the material contained silicone oil, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns can travel through blood vessels and cause a stroke, death, or permanent disfigurement.

In May of 2018, Ceron allegedly agreed to perform buttock enhancing and facial injections for an individual. During a recorded meeting Ceron said charged $500 for buttock injections and $60 for each wrinkle-filling injection.

"A search of Ceron's business in Lawrence the following month resulted in the seizure of several bottles and syringes of a substance that tests revealed to be silicone oil. Numerous uncapped, used syringes were also recovered from the business," said the US Attorney.

"Ceron performed illegal injections to augment the buttock or fill wrinkles of three other women in exchange for money and misled her victims about her qualifications and the identity and safety of the material she was injecting."

Ceron pleaded guilty to five counts of delivery for pay of an adulterated or misbranded medical device received in interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. She will be sentenced on August 5.

Each count carries a sentence of up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

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