North Andover woman charged with illegally performing silicone injections

BOSTON — A North Andover woman has been charged with performing illegal silicone injections in exchange for money, officials say.

Gladys Araceli Ceron, 71, was charged by criminal complaint in federal court in Boston with one count of delivery for pay of an adulterated or misbranded device received in interstate commerce.

Court documents allege Ceron, who had been operating her business out of Lawrence, has been obtaining "gluetal material" for over eight years from a source in Florida.

During a search at the residence of Ceron's source in 2016, authorities seized plastic bottles of suspected cosmetic silicone fillers. Lab tests confirmed the fillers seized contained silicone oil, which, if injected into the body, can travel through blood vessels and cause a stroke, leading to death of permanent disfigurement, according to the FDA.

In 2018, a witness, cooperating with federal agents, recorded her phone calls with Ceron arranging for buttock enhancement and facial injections.

In a recorded meeting in May 2018, Ceron allegedly told the witness she charged $500 for buttock injections and $60 for each wrinkle-filling injection.

Agents who search of Ceron's business seized several bottles and syringes of a substance that tested positive for silicone oil. Uncapped, used syringes were also seized from the business.

If convicted, Ceron is facing up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine.

Anyone who believes they could have been a victim of this crime is instructed to contact usama.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

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