Agents say salon used fake Botox

SEATTLE – Federal agents have arrested three people at two Seattle-area beauty salons, saying one salon offered fake Botox and another tried to bribe a public official to let it keep an unapproved laser-like device for skin treatment.

The indictment says that at the Natural Beauty salon in Bellevue, Xin “Faith” Le, 46, told clients she was injecting them with drugs such as Botox and Restylane, but the substances were counterfeit. At least two women since 2004 had to be treated by dermatologists or plastic surgeons because of bad reactions. Federal prosecutors say Le continued after receiving a cease-and-desist order from the state in 2006.

At the other salon, Crystal Nails in Burien, owners Toan Le and Hang Ho allegedly tried to import devices that had not been approved by the FDA, including a laser-like device that emitted an unknown amount of radiation. And, prosecutors say, when an FDA consumer safety officer made an inspection, they tried to pay her $800 to let them keep the device.

All three defendants made their initial appearances at U.S. District Court Tuesday.