| NEWARK
— A state judge has ordered the owner
of a Basking Ridge spa and three members
of her family to appear in court on May
30 to answer allegations that they unlawfully
offered to provide medical, cosmetology
and counseling services while not licensed
to do so, Attorney General Zulima V. Farber
and New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
Director Kimberly Ricketts announced.
The
order was issued by Superior Court Judge
Rosemarie Ruggiero Williams of Somerset
County in response to a suit filed by the
Attorney General and Consumer Affairs against
Judith Page (a/k/a Judith Yorio), Kiyosha
Watts (a/k/a Kiyosha Watts-Yorio), Courtney
Yorio and David Yorio, D.O. The suit alleges
the defendants violated state licensing
and consumer protection laws while working
at Roberta Medi-Spa at 3080 Valley Road,
Basking Ridge. The state boards of Medical
Examiners, Cosmetology and Hairstyling,
Psychological Examiners, Social Work Examiners,
Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners and
the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee
are also plaintiffs.
“We
are committed to enforcing our licensing
laws to protect the public,” Attorney
General Farber said. “These laws require
people who offer certain types of services
to meet fundamental training and educational
requirements, so that we don’t have
unqualified people practicing in fields
where they could do serious harm.”
Consumer
Affairs’ Enforcement Bureau conducted
an undercover investigation into the activities
of the defendants. During the investigation,
Page, Watts and Courtney Yorio allegedly
offered undercover investigators a variety
of medical, cosmetology and counseling services
that are regulated by the state and can
only be performed by licensed practitioners.
For
example, the suit alleges:
- One
investigator said she was suffering
from depression over a miscarriage.
Page, who calls herself “Dr. Judith
Page” and claims she is a licensed
psychologist, prescribed amino acids
and charged the investigator $150 for
a counseling session. Page is not licensed
by the Board of Psychological Examiners
or any of the state’s mental health
licensing boards.
- Watts,
who calls herself “Dr. Kiyosha”
and uses the title “medical director,”
holds herself out as a New Jersey licensed
physician and doctor of osteopathy,
even though she is not licensed to practice
medicine in the state. During a meeting
with an investigator, Watts called herself
an “aesthetic physician,”
claiming she provides a variety of medical
services, priced from $100 to $600,
including Botox and Restylane injections
for wrinkles; mesotherapy, involving
injections to emulsify fat; laser treatment
for skin rejuvenation; and osteopathic
manipulative massage therapy. The spa’s
Web site identifies Watts as Page’s
daughter-in-law.
-
Courtney Yorio gave an investigator
a facial for $75. Yorio claimed she
was a licensed aesthetician and qualified
to perform microdermabrasion, glycolic
peels, non-permanent makeup and facial
hair tweezing. In fact, she is not licensed
by the Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling
to provide any cosmetology service.
In addition, Roberta Medi-Spa is not
a licensed cosmetology shop. The spa’s
Web site identifies Courtney Yorio as
Page’s daughter.
- David
Yorio was listed as Roberta Medi-Spa’s
medical director as of March 22, 2005
even though he didn’t become licensed
with the Board of Medical Examiners
until July 12, 2005. In addition, the
state’s complaint alleges that
David Yorio aided and abetted unlicensed
practice by Page, Watts and Courtney
Yorio.
“Obtaining
a license to practice medicine, counseling
or cosmetology is not optional. To work
in any of these disciplines, it is a requirement,”
Director Ricketts said. “We have zero
tolerance for those who engage in unlicensed
practice and flout the laws that are designed
to protect New Jersey consumers.”
The
state’s suit seeks, among other things,
to bar the defendants from engaging in the
unlicensed practice of medicine, cosmetology
and/or counseling and to have them pay restitution
to affected consumers as well as civil monetary
penalties and attorneys fees.
This
is not the first time the state has taken
legal action against Page. Page previously
was barred from holding herself out as a
social worker and from offering psychotherapeutic
counseling services unless certified or
licensed to do so. Under the terms of a
March 3, 1997 consent order, Yorio was ordered
to pay restitution, investigative costs
and penalties totaling $35,000.
Deputy
Attorney General Susan C. Berger of the
Division of Law is handling this case for
the state. The Somerset County Consumer
Affairs Office assisted the state in its
investigation.
The
New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
is encouraging clients of Roberta Medi-Spa
who received cosmetology, counseling and/or
medical services from the defendants to
contact the Division of Consumer Affairs’
Enforcement Bureau at 973-504-6300.
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