Shasta County woman accused of posing as nurse, doctor arrested in illegal Botox probe

A woman has been charged with practicing medicine without a license while providing Botox and other treatments at a Redding spa the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office said maimed some of the victims.

Susan Ann Tancreto is charged with eight felony violations, including mayhem, battery with serious bodily injury and selling and transporting a controlled substance after a California Department of Consumer Affairs and U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation, the DA’s office said.

Dr. Larry Richard Pyle also was charged with aiding and abetting Tancreto, the news release said.

Some of the Botox and/or filler injections resulted in “severe injury and significant facial deformities to victims, who now require long-term medical treatment,” the DA’s office said.

Both Tancreto and Pyle were arrested Wednesday morning, Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said.

Bridgett said Tancreto had been seeing clients for three to five years and there are at least three victims.

"The basic way it came to the attention of law enforcement is one of the victims sought help from another doctor based on injuries she suffered. Then the doctor looked up the individual the victim said had done this to her and learned she did not have a license," Bridgett said.

The business where Tancreto was giving treatment at was Bellissima Salon and Day Spa, Bridgett said.

Charges have not been filed against the spa. A hairdresser at the spa said Wednesday afternoon that Trancreto hadn't worked there for months.

"We are just dealing with her (Tancreto) and Dr. Pyle," said Bridgett, adding that Pyle is a family practice physician in Redding.

The DA's news release said, “Tancreto told multiple victims she was a nurse who worked for Dr. Pyle. However, Tancreto does not possess a medical doctor or nurse’s license and never has possessed such licenses.”

Investigators allege Tancreto purchased Botox from Pyle and then would take it to inject patients who thought she was a nurse. They also allege she bought the products online from outside of the country.

Pyle did not examine the individuals who were receiving the Botox injections from Tancreto and other treatments to ensure they were candidates to receive them, the DA’s news release said.

One of the victims learned after having a biopsy that she will require lifelong treatment after Tancreto injected silicone into her lips, the DA’s news release said, adding that silicone has not been approved by the FDA to be injected to fill wrinkles or augment tissues anywhere in the body.

Investigators also allege Tancreto offered, sold, furnished or gave away controlled substances such as Norco, Valium and Tramadol.

The Shasta County District Attorney’s Office is asking anyone who received treatments from Tancreto to report it to its consumer protection hotline at 225-5391.

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