Woman Arrested After 17 Years On The Run Over A Mother’s Death After Unlicensed Buttocks Injection: Case Underscores Danger Of Cosmetic Procedures Done By Unlicensed Practitioners

Tamaira Angell Smith, 52, was arrested this week in Texas on a fugitive felony murder warrant issued out of Gwinnett county in 2009 and she is now in the Gwinnett county jail with no bail.

Smith had been wanted by police for 17 years, dating back to an incident where, according to WSB-TV, she collected money from 29 year old Eyanna Moore in exchange for Smith performing a makeshift butt injection on Moore.

But Moore, a married mother of three young children, died after the unlicensed procedure.

Law enforcement officials had for years sought Smith, even featuring her several times on local Most Wanted sites. But police in Mckinney, Texas, this week arrested her on a resisting an officer charge, and she was quickly transported back to face a Superior Court in Georgia.

If convicted of felony murder, she could face life in prison. Smith is also charged with practicing medicine without a license.

While Eyanna Moore’s three children are now anticipating justice be served, many other victims and families across the country have also endured deaths or disfigurements due to faulty cosmetic enhancements performed by unauthorized people.

And even as medical professionals have for years warned about the potentially fatal side effects of letting an uncertified individual inject chemicals into one’s body, the procedure still happens–across the country.

For decades, even before the advent of social media, thousands of individuals turned to back-room injectors, seeking to avoid the high cost of legitimate plastic surgery, often trading the promise of a cheaper procedure for catastrophic health outcomes and death.

It’s a risk that many have taken. While not everyone who has had a faulty injection has died, many people have been physically disfigured or left with long-term medical complications as a result of the procedures.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains a strict warning against the use of injectable silicone or dermal fillers for large-scale body contouring. Despite these federal mandates, an illicit network of “pump parties” in hotel rooms, private homes, and unlicensed spas continues to thrive nationwide.

The Fatal Mechanics of Unlicensed Injections

The immediate dangers of black-market procedures stem from a lethal combination of anatomical ignorance and toxic materials. Unlike board-certified surgeons who undergo over a decade of rigorous training, underground injectors often lack basic medical knowledge.

“The gluteal region is dense with major blood vessels,” warns C. Herrera, a reconstructive plastic surgeon based in South Florida. “When an untrained person pushes a needle into those sensitive deep tissues, the risk of hitting a vein is extremely high.”

If an injected material enters the bloodstream, the results are swift and frequently fatal:

Pulmonary Embolism: The foreign substance travels directly to the heart and lungs, blocking oxygen flow and causing sudden respiratory failure.

Embolic Stroke: Migrating blockages can travel to the brain, triggering immediate, irreversible neurological damage.

Septic Shock: The complete absence of sterile techniques routinely introduces lethal bacteria directly into the deep tissue and bloodstream.

Industrial Toxins Injected into the Human Body

Investigations into underground medical rings reveal that the substances used are entirely unfit for human tissue. To maximize profit, illicit operators bypass medical-grade supplies in favor of cheap, hardware-store alternatives.

Chemical analyses of seized materials routinely turn up household caulk, bathroom silicone sealants, hydrogel, motor oil, industrial adhesives and even automotive tire-fill and tire-shine products.

When these toxic substances are forced into human flesh, the body’s immune system mounts a massive, aggressive inflammatory defense. The surrounding flesh quickly loses blood supply, leading to extensive tissue necrosis—a condition where the skin and muscle literally die and rot away.

Who Is Getting “The Shots”?

Plastic surgeons report a steady influx of patients seeking emergency help or corrective surgeries years after receiving “black market” shots. Because many people only come forward when severe complications arise, the known cases represent only a fraction of the total number.

Caution: GRAPHIC PHOTOS:

And while anyone can fall victim to these scams, studies and public health data show the practice is most prevalent among women and transgender individuals (specifically trans women). For instance, a community-based study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that roughly 14% of surveyed trans women reported using illicit fillers or silicone, with the buttocks and breasts being the most common injection sites.

Geographically, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and health regulators report that illegal operations are most heavily concentrated in highly populated metropolitan areas across Florida, New York, California, Texas, and Metro Atlanta.

The demand persists due to a massive price divide. A legal, board-certified cosmetic procedure can cost anywhere from $5,000 to over $20,000. Underground providers, operating out of hotel rooms or private homes, and even truck stops, often charge a fraction of that price—sometimes a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars—luring in those who cannot afford legitimate healthcare.

The Long-Term Time Bomb

For many victims, the nightmare does not begin immediately. Complications can lie dormant for months or even years before surfacing as agonizing, chronic conditions.

Because liquid silicone is fluid and unencased, gravity eventually pulls it away from the injection site. Patients have reported the material migrating down their legs into their calves and ankles, or up into their lower backs. As the body attempts to wall off the foreign chemical, it forms hard, painful, cement-like lumps known as granulomas.

Correcting these botched procedures requires grueling, multi-stage reconstructive surgeries. Because the silicone weaves itself into healthy muscle and fat like webbed roots, complete removal is often impossible without severe, permanent disfigurement. Furthermore, the chronic, systemic inflammation frequently triggers hypercalcemia, a condition that leads to irreversible kidney failure.

Seeking Safe Alternatives

Health officials emphasize that any injection filling a large area of the body should be viewed as a major red flag. Dermal fillers are strictly approved only for small-scale facial rejuvenation.

Medical experts advise anyone considering body contouring to verify the credentials of their provider through official state medical boards. Legitimate procedures—such as a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), which uses a patient’s own purified fat, or solid, FDA-approved gluteal implants—must only be performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon in an accredited surgical facility.

Infamous Cases

Vivian Alexandra Gomez (California, 2026): A Florida-based cosmetologist convicted of felony involuntary manslaughter. She administered a fatal silicone injection to OnlyFans model Christina Ashten Gourkani at a hotel near San Francisco International Airport.

Libby Adame “The Butt Lady” (Los Angeles, 2025): Sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for second-degree murder. Already convicted of involuntary manslaughter for a 2019 death, she continued performing illegal injections, resulting in the death of actress Cindyana Santangelo.

The “Toxic Tush” Case (Florida) Oneal Ron Morris: Morris, a transgender woman who became widely known in the media, Morris performed unlicensed cosmetic procedures in Florida homes and hotel rooms.

Morris reportedly also injected herself with some of the chemicals she used on her clients.

Instead of medical fillers, she injected victims with a dangerous concoction containing cement, mineral oil, tire sealant, and bathroom caulk, sealing the injection wounds with super glue.

Following the death of one of her clients, Shatarka Nuby, Morris was convicted of manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Texas Mother-Daughter Duo (Texas & California) Consuelo Dal Bo and her daughter, Alicia Galaz: The duo operated an off-the-grid operation, using Instagram to recruit clients for cheap Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL).

They traveled between Texas and California to perform uncontained liquid silicone injections inside private residences.

They were arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department after a young woman died of acute respiratory failure and a silicone embolism following a procedure.

The sentence: Both were given prison terms but later released under time served.

The Dallas Salon Case (Texas) Denise “Wee Wee” Ross and Jimmy “Spike” Clarke: The pair operated an unlicensed salon in Dallas where they charged thousands of dollars for buttocks enhancements. They used industrial-grade silicone and sealed the wounds with super glue.

In 2015, 34-year-old Wykesha Reid died on the salon table from a silicone embolism. Ross was convicted of murder and practicing medicine without a license, receiving a 60-year prison sentence.

Clarke was sentenced to 56 years in prison.

The New Jersey “Padge-Winslow” Case (Philadelphia/New Jersey) Padge-Winslow (born Whalesca Castillo): She ran an illegal injection business out of a home, importing commercial-grade silicone from overseas. She injected hundreds of women over several years, capitalizing on low costs relative to certified plastic surgeons.

After a 20-year-old breakdancer from London, Claudia Aderotimi, flew to a hotel near Philadelphia International Airport and died from the procedure, Padge-Winslow was arrested.

She was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison.