A New York aesthetician was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly buying counterfeit Botox from China and injecting it into patients, without the required license, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.
Joey Grant Luther, 54, was charged with wire fraud, smuggling, and other crimes related to the purchase and import of misbranded and counterfeit drugs at his medical spa, JGL Aesthetics, located in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen. None of the Botox was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, prosecutors said.
“As alleged, Joey Grant Luther, who does not possess the licensing required by New York State to perform injections of Botox, knowingly purchased counterfeit Botox from China, injected it into his clients, and represented that the counterfeit Botox that he was peddling was genuine,” U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon said in a statement.
Luther allegedly continued to purchase and inject the counterfeit Botox despite knowing clients had fallen ill or experienced strange symptoms, Sassoon said. He allegedly reassured his patients that any side effects were temporary and that the Botox was from Allergan, the veritable maker, according to prosecutors.
“Luther’s disregard for the health of his clients put all of his victims in harm’s way and, in some cases, caused life-threating injuries,” Sassoon said.
According to the criminal complaint, an investigation began after one of Luther’s patients said they experienced double vision, heart palpitations, weakness from the waist up and other problems after receiving a Botox injection from JGL Aesthetics. The victim visited three hospitals to treat the symptoms and was diagnosed with Botulism toxin in March 2024, prosecutors said.
Customs and Border Protection intercepted parcels intended for JGL Aesthetics, finding one that contained “significant quantities of counterfeit drugs, including counterfeit Botox,” according to prosecutors.
Luther was scheduled to be presented late Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
It is unclear if Luther has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
The case comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alongside the FDA, opened an investigation last year after 19 people across nine states experienced negative side effects after receiving counterfeit Botox injections.
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