Burien salon operators guilty of bribery, illegal importing
SEATTLE - A couple accused of importing an illegal cosmetic device and then bribing a federal official to let them use it in their Burien beauty salon has pleaded guilty to the charges.
Toan Le, 51, and Hang Ho, 41, of Burien entered the guilty pleas Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
Le pleaded guilty to providing an illegal gratuity to a public official and Ho pleaded guilty to introducing an adulterated device into interstate commerce.
When sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez, Le faces up to two years in prison and Ho faces up to one year in prison.
Le owns Crystal Nails beauty salon in Burien and Ho is an employee of the salon.
In court documents, Ho admitted she attempted to import medical devices that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. One of the devices was a "skin light machine" - a laser type device for skin treatment - that emits radiation at unknown levels.
When an FDA consumer safety officer made an inspection, Le admitted he offered first $500 and later $800 to allow the salon to keep the machine and other adulterated products.
According to court records, Le delivered an envelope containing $800 to the consumer safety officer, who was cooperating with law enforcement.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Le and Ho will forfeit the $800, as well as a variety of items from their salon which were adulterated or misbranded - including nine skin light machines, four hand-held massagers, creams, bath salts and tweezers.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle says that each year, consumers are injured by individuals who are neither licensed or trained to perform medical or cosmetic procedures. Often, the people performing the treatments use drugs and devices not approved by the FDA.
Injuries range from severe burns and infection to permanent scarring. The FDA has investigated cases where some consumers have died after receiving such treatments from individuals not licensed to perform them.
Toan Le, 51, and Hang Ho, 41, of Burien entered the guilty pleas Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
Le pleaded guilty to providing an illegal gratuity to a public official and Ho pleaded guilty to introducing an adulterated device into interstate commerce.
When sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez, Le faces up to two years in prison and Ho faces up to one year in prison.
Le owns Crystal Nails beauty salon in Burien and Ho is an employee of the salon.
In court documents, Ho admitted she attempted to import medical devices that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. One of the devices was a "skin light machine" - a laser type device for skin treatment - that emits radiation at unknown levels.
When an FDA consumer safety officer made an inspection, Le admitted he offered first $500 and later $800 to allow the salon to keep the machine and other adulterated products.
According to court records, Le delivered an envelope containing $800 to the consumer safety officer, who was cooperating with law enforcement.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Le and Ho will forfeit the $800, as well as a variety of items from their salon which were adulterated or misbranded - including nine skin light machines, four hand-held massagers, creams, bath salts and tweezers.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle says that each year, consumers are injured by individuals who are neither licensed or trained to perform medical or cosmetic procedures. Often, the people performing the treatments use drugs and devices not approved by the FDA.
Injuries range from severe burns and infection to permanent scarring. The FDA has investigated cases where some consumers have died after receiving such treatments from individuals not licensed to perform them.