New York man indicted for performing illegal cosmetic procedures

File this under “medical tourism” meets “back-room procedures”. Another sad story about discount cosmetic surgery in a foreign country, this time with a twist…****
Hector Cabral of New York has been indicted for illegally performing cosmetic procedures on several women, leaving some of them permanently disfigured. He was charged with 10 counts of unauthorized practice of a profession, in this case medicine, according to the North Country Gazette.The illegal operations took place between November of 2006 and November of 2009. Cabral allegedly charged the women a fee for consultations and examinations held at various spas and beauty salons in the state of New York. The women would then travel to the Dominican Republic, where Cabral would carry out the procedure.
Following the illegal treatment, Cabral would instruct the women to visit his accomplice, Alma Melo, for “post operative treatment” back in New York. Melo was served with two charges for a first-degree scheme to defraud and a fifth-degree conspiracy.
Cabral could face more than 20 years in prison if convicted. He is currently free on bail, and a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Melo.
Editor’s note: I believe this is the first time that someone has been prosecuted for illegal surgical services when the surgery was performed overseas, and only the pre-operative consultation and post-operative recovery phases were performed in the U.S. It sets a new legal precedent.
Source: ASAPS