JUPITER, Fla. — The owner of a cosmetic studio in Jupiter and one of her employees face multiple charges after accusations of performing illegal cosmetic procedures.
Police in Jupiter said they conducted a joint operation with the Florida Department of Health at Aqua Laser Studio, located at 775 West Indiantown Road, on Tuesday.
Police arrested owner Donna Shuman, 54, and her employee Johnathan Lopez-Oramas, 45.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the state Department of Health received a tip from a former employee that Lopez-Oramas was conducting a variety of cosmetic injections without a medical license.
The former employee said on two occasions Lopez-Oramas, known as J-Lo, injected her with a neuromodulation injection known as Xeomin.
The tipster also told police that the owner of the business, Shuman, was present in the office acting as a medical assistant during her first injection.
In the two months that the former employee worked at Aqua Laser Studio, she said that she witnessed Lopez-Oramas conduct at least 50 injections into patients. She also said that she would help get patients ready and be an assistant in the room during the procedures.
During her employment, the former employee told police that she never met or saw the doctor who the business was licensed under.
According to the Department of Health, Lopez-Oramas does not have a license to perform these injections and is not a registered nurse, physician's assistant or doctor.
However, the affidavit said that numerous reviews on Google stated that "J-Lo" administered Botox to patients and did an excellent job.
A friend of the former employee also told police that she received Botox treatments from Lopez-Oramas.
Based on this evidence, the affidavit said that an undercover agent with the Department of Health made a Feb. 7 appointment to have Botox injections with Lopez-Oramas.
The undercover agent posed as a patient and was accompanied by an undercover Jupiter police detective.
On the day of the appointment, police said Lopez-Oramas started to prep her skin for injections, prompting Jupiter police officers to enter the business and handcuff him.
Lopez-Oramas told police he had worked at Aqua Laser Studio since August 2022 and was hired by Shuman to conduct the cosmetic procedures.
Police said Shuman was not present at the time of the undercover operation but later returned and was also placed under custody.
When the police told Shuman that Lopez-Oramas did not have a license to work at the facility, the affidavit said that Shuman replied, "He doesn't have a license?"
Police said they then informed her that it was her responsibility to know those things.
Both Shulman and Lopez-Oramas face multiple charges of practicing medicine without an active license while Lopez-Oramas also faces an additional charge of battery.
Police said charges are pending against a third person.
Center fixing botched procedures
"We've become the botch doctor. We're now fixing all the botches around Wellington and in the local area because a friend of a friend of a friend says, 'Hey, go here, it's a great discount,'" Lisa Banionis, practice manager for Palm Beach Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, told WPTV reporter Joel Lopez. "What you get is what you pay for."
Staff with the center said unlicensed staff performing procedures has become an issue in their industry and it can be harmful for consumers.
"Just last Friday I had somebody come in," Banionis said. "She felt like one eye lid was closing more often than the other and it was making it very uncomfortable to drive."
In addition to registering with the Department of State, most professions must register with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Anyone needing to verify a license for a salon or person can do so by clicking here. From there, search any person or business to see if there are any disciplinary actions on record.
Shuman released the following statement on Thursday:
"First and foremost, our top priority remains providing safe and effective care to our clients. We are aware of the allegations against Aqua Laser Studio and take them very seriously. We are conducting our own internal investigation and are also consulting with industry experts. For nearly a decade we have considered our clients to be an extension of our family and want them to feel comfortable receiving care from us as they always have."
