Rodrigo Beauty owner to plead guilty after botulism outbreak in MA
A 33-year-old Quincy man has agreed to plead guilty in a case where he is accused of injecting clients with unapproved botulinum toxin, which caused several diagnoses of botulism, according to federal investigators.
The Massachusetts Department of Health informed the Food and Drug Administration in June that several cases of botulism were traced back to Rodrigo Beauty, located at 464 Granite Ave. in Milton, according to a criminal complaint. Rodrigo de Medeiros Siqueira is the owner.
A client who had received botulinum toxin injections by Medeiros Siqueira in May had presented with symptoms of botulism two days later and was hospitalized. At least 10 cases linked to the med spa were under investigation at the time the health department publicized the information.
What is botulinum toxin
Botulinum toxin is a prescription drug injected to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but is also used to treat migraines and spasms. The FDA has approved several botulinum toxins – such as Botox, Daxxify, Dysport or Xeomin – and they must be administered by a licensed practitioner.
What causes iatrogenic botulism
Iatrogenic botulism is rare but can occur through these injections, causing blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing or breathing. The risk increases when the injections are unapproved or counterfeit; done by an unlicensed person; or performed in a non-healthcare setting.
Medeiros Siqueira was a registered aesthetician, but had no license or certification that would have allowed him to administer prescription drugs or perform injections, investigators said. Further, only licensed practitioners can purchase FDA-approved botulinum toxin products from manufacturers.
What prosecutors allege happened at Rodrigo Beauty in Milton
Investigators say there is no record of Medeiros Siqueira or Rodrigo Beauty ever purchasing legitimate products from any four commonly used botulinum toxin manufacturers. There are also no botulinum toxin manufacturers in Massachusetts, meaning the purchase had to come from out of the state, or possibly out of the country.
According to the criminal complaint, Medeiros Siqueira claimed he received his product from a licensed nurse practitioner who owns another local med spa. The nurse practitioner denied providing the product to Medeiros Siqueira, but said they sent him a picture of an expired display vial “to ‘help’ him when some of his clients began experiencing adverse medical events.”
The lot number of the display vial, with an expiration date of August 2024, matched the lot number Medeiros Siqueira purportedly gave to his clients, despite him making representations to clients that the product expired in August 2025, the complaint said.
The complaint does not confirm where Medeiros Siqueira obtained these products.
In October, Medeiros Siqueira was arrested and charged with one count of misbranding of a drug after shipment in interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. He agreed to plead guilty on Thursday, Dec. 11.
The charge can mean up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
The U.S. Attorney has recommended lower-range incarceration, 12 months of supervised release and at least $435,425 in forfeiture, according to the plea agreement.
Investigators ask that anyone who may have received services from Medeiros Siqueira or Rodrigo Beauty to fill out a questionnaire on the FDA website.
Hannah Morse covers growth and development for The Patriot Ledger. Contact her at [email protected].
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