KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man who previously owned and operated a spa in Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to prison after admitting to using illegal treatments on patients and injuring them in the process.
Richard B. Smith III, 44, will spend two years in federal prison for the crimes. He pleaded guilty to one count of receiving misbranded drugs and one count of receiving adulterated devices.
Smith operated Tap and Blade in KCMO from Jan. 2018 to April 2021, when the spa was raided by federal agents, according to court documents.
At Tap and Blade, Smith offered medical services such as injections of prescription drugs, including unapproved Botox, and prescription devices to enhance facial features, such as Juvederm Ultra 3, among others, per a press release.
In December 2020, the Office of Criminal Investigations, a branch of U.S. Food and Drug Administration, began investigating Smith.
Investigators began the probe after receiving word that multiple patients were injured after receiving treatments at Tap and Blade.
Smith, who was the only employee at the spa, performed all the procedures.
He admitted to buying the drugs over the internet from Alibaba.com, a China-based website, without a prescription.
Smith said he purchased the drugs from Alibaba because they were cheaper and allowed him to offer his services at a lower price.
At least 10 patients were injured after receiving treatments from Smith, according to court papers.
—
