APRIL 19, 1999

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR PRACTICING MEDICINE WITHOUT A LICENSE

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the arrest of 'Madame Olga' of College Point, Queens on charges of practicing medicine without a license, assault, reckless endangerment, and possession of hypodermic needles.

District Attorney Brown said, "The defendant, known as Madame Olga, has generated complaints to the police by customers who felt her treatments were dangerous. She has operated for some time with reckless disregard for the people who turned to her for help."

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Olga L. Ramirez, 34, of 15-27 123rd Street, College Point operating as an aesthetitian from her home office. She faces up to 7 years in prison if convicted.

According to the charges, in April of this year, the defendant practice medicine without a license when an undercover officer went to her for the treatment of a rash on his upper arm. In addition to treating the rash, she told the undercover officer that she would be able to provide injections of collagen and other unidentified substances to cure facial wrinkles when the undercover officer suggested that his girlfriend could use her services. She also showed him a portfolio of pictures of clients she had treated in the past. It is also alleged that earlier this year the defendant treat a 24 year old St. John's University co-ed and that the treatment left her face swollen and disfigured. A search warrant executed at the time of the defendant's arrest led to the recovery of 500 hypodermic needles, a large variety of prescription drugs and business records.

Assistant District Attorney John Scarpa of the District Attorney Brown's Economic Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michael J. Mansfield, Bureau Chief, is in charge of the prosecution. The investigation and arrest were carried out by Detectives Michael Giaccobello and Ralph Torres of District Attorney Brown's Detective Bureau under the supervision of Chief Investigator Edward T.Brady.

It is to be noted that a charge is merely and accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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