Wilmington man sentenced to 14 years in prison over deadly buttocks injections

GREENBELT, MD (WWAY) –  A Wilmington man is going to prison for injecting clients with industrial grade silicone, which ultimately killed one woman.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Vinnie Lysander Taylor to 14 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for receiving and selling industrial grade silicone, but representing to customers that it was medical grade silicone.

“FDA regulates medical devices to protect the public from potentially dangerous complications and side effects. Industrial-grade silicone that is injected into individuals’ bodies can cause serious bodily injury or death,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office. “FDA’s OCI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who offer such dangerous products to the public.”

Taylor admitted that from at least 2008 through December 16, 2014, he administered silicone injections into the buttocks of customers who wanted larger or fuller buttocks.

Taylor, who was not a licensed medical practitioner, lied to clients, telling them that the procedure was safe and that he used medical grade silicone, when in fact the silicone was not medical grade silicone.

Taylor administered the injections in hotel rooms in Prince George’s County, Maryland, St. Louis, Missouri, Arlington, Virginia, and elsewhere.

Taylor charged between $800 and $1000 for the initial injections and between $350 and $800 for subsequent injections.

In Maryland, between at least 2012 and December 2014, Taylor administered silicone injections to more than 10 people, telling them that it was safe.  Taylor did not use medical grade silicone, but used polydimethylsiloxane, a common silicone product used in commercial applications such as foods, lubricating oils, sealants and shampoos.

On March 20, 2014, Taylor injected silicone into the buttocks of a victim.  After the victim left the hotel she began having problems breathing. Two days later, the victim checked herself into the hospital and two days after that, she died.

An autopsy determined that the cause of death was acute and chronic respiratory failure due to a foreign substance causing a pulmonary embolization.  The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

According his plea agreement, from approximately 2008 through December 2, 2014, Taylor purchased 152 gallons of food grade liquid silicone. Taylor stored the liquid silicone in plastic bottles that were not labeled nor approved by the FDA for that purpose.  Therefore, the liquid silicone was adulterated and misbranded.  The 152 gallons of silicone equates to 3,196 sessions.  At $500 per treatment, Taylor’s mid-range fee, proceeds from the illegal injections total at least $1,598,000.

As part of his plea agreement, Taylor has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal information filed in Prince George’s County Circuit Court, admitting that his conduct resulted in the death of the victim in March 2014.   In exchange, the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office dismissed first degree murder charges which were pending against Taylor.