Counterfeit Botox Case: Med Spa Owner Sentenced to 46 Months

Published: September 5, 2026

Last fact-checked: September 5, 2026

Current status: Rebecca Fadanelli pleaded guilty in April 2026 and was sentenced on September 2, 2026. A federal judge ordered 46 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and $1,001,562 each in restitution and forfeiture.

A Massachusetts med spa owner has been sentenced in a counterfeit Botox case involving more than 900 clients and more than 2,700 injection procedures. The Justice Department says Rebecca Fadanelli used counterfeit Botox and dermal fillers, falsely represented herself as a nurse, and collected more than $1 million from clients. The sentence is final at the district-court level, but the restitution order is not the same as a guaranteed individual refund. People who believe they received counterfeit drugs or devices from Fadanelli or Skin Beaute Med Spa can still use the FDA victim questionnaire; federal investigators and prosecutors determine victim status case by case.

What the Counterfeit Botox Case Established

According to the September 4 Justice Department sentencing announcement, Fadanelli owned Skin Beaute Med Spa in Randolph and South Easton, Massachusetts. DOJ says she was an aesthetician who was not licensed to perform injections or administer prescription drugs or devices.

In her federal plea agreement, Fadanelli agreed to plead guilty to eight counts: four involving unlawful importation, two involving sale or dispensing of counterfeit drugs, and two involving sale or dispensing of counterfeit devices. The indictment identified counterfeit products labeled as Botox and other injectable products.

DOJ says business records showed more than 2,700 injection procedures between about March 2021 and June 2024. Federal authorities also said Fadanelli continued performing injections after seizures and searches, and performed another injection in May 2025 while on pretrial release.

Restitution Is Not the Same as an Automatic Refund

The DOJ sentencing release does not announce a payment schedule, public claims deadline, or automatic distribution formula. The agency’s victim FAQ says investigators and prosecutors determine who qualifies as a federal crime victim after reviewing information submitted in the case.

Who Should Consider the FDA Victim Questionnaire

The DOJ case page directs people who believe they or a family member received services involving a counterfeit drug or device from Fadanelli or Skin Beaute Med Spa to the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations victim-witness questionnaire.

Submitting the questionnaire does not itself establish victim status. DOJ’s FAQ says a properly submitted form should generate an automatic receipt confirmation, and a federal case agent may follow up weeks or months later if more information is needed.

What Records to Preserve

• Receipts, invoices, credit-card statements or other proof of payment.
• Appointment confirmations, text messages, emails and treatment records.
• Photos of product packaging or labels, if you already have them.
• Medical records describing any reaction, follow-up care or corrective treatment.
• The questionnaire confirmation and any later correspondence from federal investigators.

DOJ says written documentation is not required when the questionnaire is first submitted. If investigators need records later, they will provide instructions on what to send, where to send it and by what date.

What the Evidence Does Not Establish

The sentencing does not mean every person who visited Skin Beaute Med Spa is automatically a recognized federal victim. It also does not establish that every client will receive restitution, that the ordered amount has already been collected, or that a payout has begun. No public deadline for the FDA questionnaire is stated on the current case materials reviewed for this report.

What Happens Next

The case should be updated if the court enters a materially different judgment, an appeal changes the sentence, DOJ publishes a restitution distribution process, victim eligibility guidance changes, or the government posts a submission deadline. Potential victims can monitor the DOJ case page rather than relying on social-media claims about payments.

Bottom Line

The September 2026 sentencing turns this matter from a pending prosecution into a conviction with a prison sentence and court-ordered restitution. For former clients, the practical step is to preserve treatment and payment records and use the official FDA questionnaire if they believe counterfeit products were involved. Restitution is court-ordered, but individual recovery remains case-specific and is not guaranteed by the sentencing announcement.

Important information: This article provides general news and consumer information. It is not individualized legal, medical or financial advice and does not determine whether any person is a federal crime victim or entitled to restitution.