LOS ANGELES –  On March 5, 2018, Ana Bertha Diaz Hernandez, 47, of Monterey Park, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for injecting a woman with a foreign substance for the purpose of enhancing the woman’s buttocks.

Diaz was arrested in June 2017 by investigators with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Division of Investigation, Health Quality Investigation Unit, Operation Safe Medicine Unit, along with agents with the United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, on federal charges of injecting a substance into a woman’s buttocks during a cosmetic procedure that caused so much damage, the woman needed a major operation to correct the problem.

Diaz pleaded guilty last July to receiving and delivering an adulterated and misbranded medical device.  According to the court documents, the victim, who is identified as “I.T.” – filed a complaint with the California Medical Board after seeking treatments from Diaz to enhance her buttocks.  I.T. stated that the product Diaz injected into her buttocks migrated to her “back, hips and legs.”  I.T. explained that she had to have surgery and was ultimately hospitalized due to the injections administered by Diaz.

According to the victim, during a series of treatments that cost thousands of dollars, Diaz explained. that she was injecting a “natural product,” at points claiming the injections were “lamb’s fat.”

At the sentencing hearing, I.T. explained that she has experienced a great deal of pain, suffered from infections and complications, and was hospitalized for more than three weeks due to the injections administered by Diaz.  I.T. underwent a major surgery to remove the substance injected into her buttocks and received skin grafts to repair the damage.  I.T. stated she will need further reconstructive medical procedures.  I.T. told the court that Diaz had lied to her and that she believed Diaz when Diaz said the the product was safe and would never move.

Diaz never told I.T. or her other customers that the product she was injecting had been illegally smuggled into the United Sates from Mexico, that the product was a medical device that was not approved for use in the United States for the purpose of enhancing buttocks or body contouring, and that the she was not licensed in the United States to perform any such medical procedure.

Diaz injected the liquid substance into at least 10 customers, earning at least $40,000 from her illegal activity.  Diaz is ordered to pay a $95,000 fine and $30,000 in restitution to I..T.

“This is an example of state and federal law enforcement officers combining resources and putting their expertise in various areas of the law together to investigate, arrest and assist in the prosecution of someone suspected of causing great harm to another,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.

CSLEA and California Association of Criminal Investigators (CACI) members involved in the investigation include DCA Investigators:

Jaime Sandoval, case agent

Carmen Aguilera-Marquez, supervising investigator

Majida Ibrahim, investigator

Tracy Tue, investigator