A Bronx woman was sentenced to a year in prison for injecting illegal butt implants. She charged $1,500 for each procedure and made (and had to forfeit) $100,000 total. Click below to read the full story.c
A Bronx woman who did $1,500 butt lifts with illegal injections of silicone without a medical license was sentenced Monday to one year in prison.
Whalesca Castillo, 37, who pleaded guilty last September to operating an underground cosmetic clinic out of her home from May 2009 until her arrest in January 2011, begged for leniency before Manhattan Federal Court Judge Leonard Sand.
“I want to work and do something for which my family and children can be proud,” she said through an intreperter while crying.
Her oldest daugher and other family members were in the courtroom.
As she was escorted out of the courtroom she wailed in English, “Let me hold my daughter please.”
Castillo, who owned a nail salon, gave birth in prison two months ago.
A 17-year-old son was killed in 2010 in a gang-related stabbing.
Just before the baby was born, Castillo was placed under the care of a psychiatrist after threatening suicide.
Her bail was revoked in January after prosecutors presented evidence that she continued to do the rump injections with silicone after her arrest in January 2011.
They said Castillo moved her operation to a different location and received silicone gel from the Dominican Republic at another address.
Sand rejected a defense request that he sentence Castillo to a year and a day in prison so that she could get credit for good behavior.
“Given the nature of her problems, I think she will need the (mental) treatment that I hope she will be recieving during the period of incarceration,” said Sand.
Castillo also has to forfeit the $100,000 she made off the illegal silicone procedures.
The feds found out about Castillo in August 2010 when an unhappy customer reported her to authorities.
The woman paid Castillo for a silicone injection to her backside and experienced pain and shortness of breath following the procedure. Hours later the woman also fainted, said prosecutors.
After her boyfriend revived her, the woman called Castillo and asked if she should go to the hospital.
Prosecutors said Castillo told the woman the hospital would not help her because “the procedure was illegal.”
They also said another woman who had the procedure sent a text to Castillo that said, “I’m leaking some blood and liquid, is normal?”
Castillo texted the woman back, saying “Buy some crazy glue and put it on.”
Prosecutors sought a sentence of up to two years in prision, citing her post-arrest criminal conduct.
“What she did is a public health hazard,” said prosecutor Sarah Lai. “People have died form this conduct.”
Prosecutors said the FDA prohibits the injection of liquid silicone or silicone gel to fill wrinkles or augment tissues anywhere in the body for public and health safety reasons.
