For three years, a Massachusetts woman allegedly posed as a nurse, injecting thousands of clients with counterfeit Botox and fillers smuggled from overseas, pocketing nearly a million dollars while putting her clients' health at risk.
Rebecca Fadanelli, 38, who owns Skin Beaute Med Spa in Randolph and South Easton, faces several charges after federal officials accused her of illegally importing and using counterfeit cosmetic drugs on unsuspecting clients. She allegedly brought in fake Botox, Sculptra, and Juvederm from China and Brazil, which she used in thousands of injections over the course of several years.
Federal authorities charged Fadanelli on Friday with illegally importing merchandise, selling or dispensing counterfeit drugs, and selling or dispensing counterfeit devices, according to WCVB5.
She is accused of falsely presenting herself to clients and employees as a nurse, despite being only a licensed aesthetician with no legal certification to administer or dispense prescription drugs or medical devices.
From March 2021 to March 2024, records show Fadanelli performed around 1,631 Botox procedures, earning approximately $522,869, along with 1,085 filler appointments that brought in $410,545. The combined revenue from these allegedly counterfeit injections exceeded $900,000, WCVB5 also reported.
Officials confirmed a raid at a Stoughton residence related to the case early on Friday. Fadanelli is expected to appear in federal court in Worcester later that day.
"For years, Ms. Fadanelli allegedly put unsuspecting patients at risk by representing herself to be a nurse and then administering thousands of illegal, counterfeit injections. Protecting the people of Massachusetts covers a wide range of conduct, and here it involves an individual who ignored safety regulations against bringing unapproved, counterfeit drugs and devices into our country and endangered the health of hundreds of her clients. The type of deception alleged here is illegal, reckless, and potentially life-threatening," said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
If convicted, Fadanelli could face up to 20 years in prison for importing illegal merchandise, along with a three-year supervised release term and a $250,000 fine. Each charge for dispensing counterfeit drugs or devices also carries a potential 10-year prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
