Food and Drug Administration  Office of Criminal Investigations

	U.S. Department of Justice Press Release

For Immediate Release August 19, 2016	United States Department of Justice District of Maryland

  

Falsely Represented to Customers that Silicone was Medical Grade and that Injections were Safe

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Vinnie Lysander Taylor, a/k/a “T,” age 44, of Wilmington, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Georgia, today to 14 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for receiving and selling industrial grade silicone, but representing to customers that it was medical grade silicone.  A client died as a result of receiving such injections.

 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.

 

“FDA regulates medical devices to protect the public from potentially dangerous complications and side effects. Industrial-grade silicone that is injected into individuals’ bodies can cause serious bodily injury or death,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office. “FDA’s OCI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who offer such dangerous products to the public.”           

 

Taylor admitted that from at least 2008 through December 16, 2014, he administered silicone injections into the buttocks of customers who wanted larger or fuller buttocks. Taylor, who was not a licensed medical practitioner, falsely represented to customers and victims to whom he administered liquid silicone injections that the procedure was safe and that he used medical grade silicone, when in fact the silicone was not medical grade silicone. Taylor administered the injections in hotel rooms in Prince George’s County, Maryland, St. Louis, Missouri, Arlington, Virginia, and elsewhere. Taylor charged between $800 and $1000 for the initial injections and between $350 and $800 for subsequent injections. When used in this fashion, liquid silicone is a medical device subject to regulation by the FDA.

 

In Maryland, between at least 2012 and December 2014, Taylor administered silicone injections to more than 10 individuals, representing to each victim that he used medical grade silicone and that it was safe.  In fact, Taylor did not use medical grade silicone, but used polydimethylsiloxane, a common silicone product used in commercial applications such as foods, lubricating oils, sealants and shampoos.

 

On March 20, 2014, Taylor injected silicone into the buttocks of a victim.  After the victim left the hotel she began having breathing difficulties.  On March 22, 2014, the victim checked herself into the hospital and two days later, she died.  An autopsy determined that the cause of death was acute and chronic respiratory failure due to a foreign substance causing a pulmonary embolization.  The medical examiner ruled the manner of death to be a homicide.  A clear viscous fluid removed from the victim’s buttocks during the autopsy was determined to be polydimethylsiloxane.

 

According his plea agreement, from approximately 2008 through December 2, 2014, Taylor purchased 152 gallons of food grade liquid silicone. Taylor stored the liquid silicone in plastic bottles that were not labeled nor approved by the FDA for that purpose.  Therefore, the liquid silicone was adulterated and misbranded.  The 152 gallons of silicone equates to 3,196 sessions.  At $500 per treatment, Taylor’s mid-range fee, proceeds from the illegal injections total at least $1,598,000.

 

As part of his plea agreement, Taylor has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal information filed in Prince George’s County Circuit Court, admitting that his conduct resulted in the death of the victim in March 2014.  In exchange, the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office dismissed first degree murder charges which were pending against Taylor.

 

Taylor remains detained.

 

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Deborah A. Johnston and William D. Moomau, who prosecuted the case.

 

USAO - Maryland

 

Topic: 

Consumer Protection