LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Police Department’s Commercial Crimes Division, Illicit Pharmaceutical and Counterfeit Unit (IPCU) arrested Josefa Acosta, 57, on May 21 for selling counterfeit Botox to undercover officers.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Acosta set up an on-line store and a makeshift medical office within her home. IPCU detectives confiscated Juvéderm, syringes, and other pharmaceuticals that should only be possessed by licensed medical professionals.
Samples of the numerous seized pharmaceuticals were sent to a laboratory for testing and deemed counterfeit by the manufacturer, in violation of recorded and registered trademarks. He suspect was arrested for selling prescription drugs without a license.
Counterfeit cosmetic materials are known to cause serious adverse reactions such as infections, facial paralysis, tissue death, and blindness. Manufacturers of counterfeit products are not beholden to the same rigorous materials and safety testing standards.
To prevent the risk of buying counterfeit, authorities are alerting the public to only buy from authorized medical providers or directly from the manufacturers, do due diligence when researching the names and places of your suppliers.
Acosta, a resident of Palm Desert, was arrested and booked for 11352.1 H&S, “Furnishing Prescription Drugs Without A License.”
Anyone who may have been a victim or have any information regarding this crime is asked to contact Commercial Crimes Detectives at (213) 486-6940. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.
Tipsters may also visit www.lapdonline.org and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P-3 Tips” mobile application and select the LA Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.
