NYC aesthetician charged with injecting fake Botox after nearly 700 sessions

REGENSBURG, GERMANY - JANUARY 13: Botox injection on January 13, 2015 in Regensburg, Germany. (Photo by Isa Foltin/Getty Images)

A New York City aesthetician was charged with injecting customers with counterfeit Botok at his med spa in Hell’s Kitchen. 

Federal authorities charged Joey Grant Luther, 54, after clients reported life-threatening injuries from injections they received between 2021 and July 2024. 

What we know:

The feds say Luther was not licensed to provide Botox injections and faces charges of wire fraud, smuggling and other crimes related to misbranded and counterfeit drugs.

Based on the complaint, during a raid of his business, the feds found records showing that at least 700 of his appointments involving Botox-related services were provided.

Aesthetician allegedly told clients it was ‘the real thing' 

They say he had been buying counterfeit Botox from countries in Asia, including China, for over a year. 

Luther apparently told his clients that the counterfeit Botox he purchased from China was the "real thing."

U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon says he kept injecting it into customers even after they reported getting sick or having strange symptoms. 

Patient diagnosed with botulism 

Why you should care:

According to court papers, one of Luther’s patients was diagnosed with botulism last March after receiving an injection at Luther’s business a month earlier. 

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body's nerves, according to the CDC.

In the criminal complaint, a woman experienced double vision, lightheadedness, difficulty swallowing, heart palpitations and slurred speech. 

Luther would reportedly lie to his clients by telling them that any side effects they felt were temporary. He even allegedly went as  far as assuring them that he wasn’t using counterfeit Botox even though he knew that he was.

Luther was released on $100,000 bail. 

Crime and Public Safety