A California woman has been sentenced to prison for performing botched buttocks injections.
Libby Adame was sentenced on Wednesday (November 5), after being found guilty in October of second-degree m*rder and practicing medicine without a license.
Adame was convicted in connection with the d*ath of actress Cindyana Santangelo, who reportedly received silicone injections from the fake surgeon, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Highlights
- Libby Adame was sentenced to prison in connection with the fatal injections that claimed the life of Cindyana Santangelo.
- Prosecutors said Adame went to Santangelo’s home to perform the procedure.
- Adame had been previously charged with manslaughter over the fatal injections of a 26-year-old patient.
Image credits: Los Angeles Police Department
Santangelo was known for appearing in Married ... With Children, ER, and CSI: Miami. She also starred alongside Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett in the 2003 action comedy Hollywood Homicide. She was 59 years old.
Adame has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for performing the fatal procedure.
Jurors deliberated for just over a day before reaching their verdict, as per NBC Los Angeles.
Image credits: cindyanasantangelo
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta ordered Adame to be held without bail after the jury's verdict, and denied her a new trial prior to her sentencing.
At the time of the botched procedure, Adame was already on probation in an involuntary manslaughter case stemming from fatal buttocks injections in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, in 2019, which claimed the life of 26-year-old Karissa Rajpaul.
The 55-year-old and her daughter, Alicia Galaz, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in that case in March 2024 but were acquitted of m*rder.
Adame was convicted of practicing medicine without a license
Image credits: Los Angeles Police Department
Adame was sentenced to three years in state prison in the case, but was released on time served.
Prosecutors in the 2024 trial had reportedly warned Adame that she could face a m*rder charge if another client lost their life after one of her procedures.
In March, the Married... With Children actress suffered a fatal embolism caused by silicone oil that had been injected into her buttocks earlier that day.
Cindyana Santangelo, known for her roles in Married... With Children and CSI: Miami, lost her life after silicone oil entered her bloodstream
Image credits: Unsplash/Philippe Spitalier (not the actual photo)
Image credits: ABC7
However, prosecutors presented messages exchanged between the two women as evidence that Adame had performed the cosmetic procedure at the actress’ home.
While Adame was there, Santangelo began experiencing difficulty breathing, as per ABC 7.
In court, Santangelo’s husband expressed his grief, saying, “I'll never have my best friend or wife again"
Image credits: 20th Century Fox
"Unbeknownst to the victim, the silicone oil had migrated from the injection site to the bloodstream,” Judge Sam Ohta said in court.
The late star was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced d*ad.
A month before the tragedy, Santangelo celebrated her son Dante’s 20th birthday with a heartfelt Instagram post.
Image credits: cindyanasantangelo
Dante, one of the actress’ two sons, was in Thailand at the time of the tragedy— a 16-hour flight away.
"I didn't expect this to happen in my wildest dreams,” said the grieving son in court.
“I'm all for the law and everyone to get a fair chance, but I just don't think someone who has no regard for human life or anything like that should be allowed back on the street, because clearly this is something that's happened multiple times.”
Santangelo began experiencing difficulty breathing shortly after the procedure
Image credits: Getty/Gregg DeGuire
Following the guilty verdict last month, the late actress’ husband Frank told ABC 7 that Santangelo had received justice. He described his wife as beautiful inside and out, and noted that she had saved lives through their rehabilitation center.
“We've had our whole lives turned upside down. I'll never have my best friend or wife again," Frank said in court.
Adame's attorney, Michael Flanagan, filed a motion for a new trial, arguing that his client was innocent and that there was no direct evidence of her guilt, noting that “nobody's ever seen her do the injections.”
Image credits: cindyanasantangelo
The judge denied the motion before issuing the 15 years to life sentence.
Prosecutors argued that Adame had been conducting the dangerous procedure for years, citing previous cases where clients required emergency care.
Image credits: cindyanasantangelo
Silicone injections into the buttocks are not FDA-approved. The agency has previously issued warnings regarding the risks associated with these injections, which have recently gained popularity. Reported complications include pain, infections, scarring, and potentially fatal embolisms.
The Married... With Children actress suffered a fatal embolism
Image credits: cindyanasantangelo
In 2017, the FDA warned of the “serious injuries and disfigurement that can result from using injectable silicone or products being falsely marketed as FDA-approved dermal fillers for the purpose of enhancing the size of their buttocks, breasts and other body parts."
Many emphasized the need for caution when it comes to high-risk procedures such as silicone injections
