An Orange County man already convicted of impersonating a doctor to perform cosmetic procedures is facing similar charges again after “attempting to start another Botox and thread lift business less than two weeks after he was released from prison,” according to the O.C. District Attorney’s Office.
Elias Renteria Segoviano, 63, admitted to 15 felonies in April 2023: 13 counts of unauthorized practice of medicine, one count of false indication of a medical license and one count of perjury, the OCDA said in a news release.
Prosecutors say Segoviano targeted Spanish-speaking women and used multiple variations of his name to avoid detection by authorities.
Victims who spoke with KTLA said they encountered issues like problems blinking and a collapsing eyebrow after paying Segoviano thousands.
“I’m embarrassed. I don’t go out anymore, I don’t see my friends anymore. I was prettier before I walked in his office and now I’m fighting to get my old looks back,” said a woman who asked to only be identified as Monica.
He was released from state prison on Dec. 22, 2023, but less than two weeks later, he tried to sublet a business location in Brea and applied for a business license, prosecutors said.
“Segoviano is accused of providing the two suite owners with a fake name and stating that he performs Botox injections and face thread lifting procedures, both of which require valid medical authorizations which Segoviano doesn’t have,” the release said.
Now, he faces two felony counts of unauthorized practice of medicine and a misdemeanor count of falsely representing himself as a licensed medical practitioner.
“This man walked the walk and talked the talk of being a licensed medical professional, but he was anything but what he pretended to be,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the release. “These women trusted this individual to have the training and the expertise required to perform these medical procedures, and instead they unknowingly put their very lives in the hands of someone who was never licensed to perform the kind of work he was doing. The fact that he was out of prison less than two weeks – and while under supervision – when he returned right back to a life of crime makes it painfully obvious that he has no intention of changing his behavior and he will continue to try to make money off unsuspecting women every chance that he gets.”
Anyone who was treated by Segoviano is encouraged to report those procedures to OCDA Investigator Jesse Alfonzo at 714-834-6538.