Illegal Surgery Home Bust

#KRITICIZM - Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Sandra Elvira-Paez, 44, after investigators accused her of operating an unlicensed cosmetic-surgery recovery facility from a residence in Cutler Bay. Deputies took her into custody Thursday afternoon at the home, where they reportedly found three patients recovering from surgical procedures and two people working at the property, including Elvira-Paez’s son. Authorities said the patients were paying as much as $450 per night for accommodation and postoperative services.

According to the arrest report, the patients told investigators that Elvira-Paez had given them numerous massages and administered injections of their prescribed anticoagulant medication. Elvira-Paez reportedly told deputies that she was licensed to perform massages in Colombia, but investigators said she did not possess a Florida license authorizing her to provide massage therapy, medical treatment or any other professional healthcare services. Authorities also accused her of improperly disposing of medical waste generated at the home.

Elvira-Paez now faces charges that include practicing medicine without a license and operating an assisted-living facility without a license, along with felony and misdemeanor allegations connected to improper waste disposal. Court records indicated that she was expected to be released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after posting nearly $11,000 bond. The allegations remain unproven, and Elvira-Paez is presumed innocent unless convicted in court.