A spa in Prior Lake, Minnesota, is at the center of a criminal investigation into alleged "black market" Botox treatments. 

According to the complaint filed last month in Scott County, the owner of the anti-aging spa, a 59-year-old Prior Lake woman, was using unlicensed Botox-like products and semaglutide weight loss drugs, also known as GLP-1, without the legal authority to do so.

The complaint states a longtime friend of the defendant tipped off authorities last year that she's not a registered nurse and there was no medical director at the spa. The friend said the defendant told them "she gets Botox really cheap and makes a ton of money."

A former employee also told authorities she had worked at the spa between 2022 and 2023 and said the defendant "would never let her inject people with Botox" even though she was qualified to do so, and instead did all injections herself, the complaint states. 

Both the friend and the former employee also claimed the defendant's ex-husband told them separately the Botox-like products were unregulated bootlegs.

Another witness told investigators the defendant ordered her products from China and "learned to inject Botox from watching YouTube." A man who briefly worked as the spa's former medical director told investigators he reported the defendant to the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice after learning of the allegations.

In July 2025, a former customer told investigators she had "a terrible experience" at the spa during an open house when she had some painful injections of what they believed was Juvederm. The customer later asked the defendant to provide her with the drugs' lot numbers, which she then gave to the company that makes Juvederm. The company confirmed "those numbers were not their product," according to the complaint.

The defendant later told investigators she had neurotoxin training in Texas and was unsure if her certification was valid in Minnesota. The complaint states the defendant also claimed that she was "joking" when she said the product was from the "black market," and blamed a voice text that "got messed up" for the misunderstanding.

She went on to say she was "providing a service to women, her heart is good, and all she does is give," the complaint states.

"Whether it be true, I don't know, but let the courts decide," said Denise McBride, a small business owner who works in the same building as the medical spa.

McBride says she's known the woman facing this charge for over a decade and learned about some accusations against here about a year ago. 

"Approximately a year ago I received a random text," McBride said. "Just making claims of charges being filed and don't use her business, illegal practices she's not certified, black market product."

McBride says she was concerned and knows as a small business owner any accusations can be damaging. 

"We need to follow the law and she's not been found guilty, so mind your own business and pray for her," McBride said.

The defendant is charged with one count of unlawful practice of medicine, a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.  

The spa owner's attorney says she has no comment and plans to contest the charge in court. The attorney went on to say the spa is not currently operating and added there's a long back story, saying there's been an effort by an ex-boyfriend to spread this information.

Dermatologist's advice on getting botox

Board certified dermatologist Jaime Davis owns her own practice in Minneapolis and offered some advice before getting any kind of work done. 

She says medical training when it comes to injections is incredibly important for the patient and legally necessary.

"I know how long it took me to learn all those things and I just can't imagine somebody without experience or supervision making that attempt," Davis said. "The mechanics of the muscles, the correct dosing and mixing." 

Davis says she oversees a certified nurse injector and hopes people understand that getting an injection like Botox is "not just a casual cosmetic procedure."

Davis suggests doing some research before committing to any procedures. 

"Don't be afraid to ask hey what are your credentials?" Davis said. "If it's a dermatologist look for board certified dermatologist. If you've got a registered nurse doing it look for who is their medical director and make sure they are at least on site." 

Healthcare business law attorney David Holt practices in the Twin Cities and is not associated with this case. Holt tells WCCO he receives questions often about what is legally necessary to properly run a medical spa business. 

Holt says a medical supervisor is needed, that can be someone who is a doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathic medicine, advanced practice registered nurse or dentist in many cases. He advises his clients to ensure these experienced medical professionals are supervising registered nurses when it comes to injections.