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A Brazilian national accused of performing plastic surgeries without a license in Miami has allegedly vanished days before he was set to go on trial for more than a dozen charges connected to theft, fraud and practicing medicine without credentials, according to authorities.
Joao Batista Cunha De Araujo, 57, dubbed “Dr. Frankenstein” by critics, faces 14 charges, 13 of them felonies, in Miami-Dade County, according to an arrest warrant reviewed by Fox News Digital. He was arrested after a pair of anonymous tips led authorities to conduct a sting at his office — an undercover detective went in for a consultation on chin liposuction and was allegedly given a quote for the procedure.
Miami-Dade authorities confirmed to Fox News Digital that Araujo surrendered his passport after a court order and was put on an ankle monitor while awaiting trial. Then he disappeared.
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Local authorities deferred questions about his whereabouts to the U.S. Marshals and the Brazilian government, neither of which could immediately be reached for comment.
According to court documents, Araujo’s ankle monitor “generated a tamper alert” on Saturday, Aug. 1 — three days before the scheduled beginning of his trial.
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Two officers responded to his last known location in a high-rise on the Bay Harbor Islands, just north of Miami Beach. They were unable to locate Araujo or the ankle monitor, and his house arrest was revoked and a Miami judge issued a new arrest warrant and authorized full extradition.
Araujo’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, told Fox News Digital he was still looking at discovery in the case and that the trial date likely would have been pushed back.
“My client previously entered a plea of not guilty to the charges, and I was prepared to vigorously challenge the allegations brought by the prosecution,” he said. “For reasons unknown to me, he has chosen to make himself unavailable to continue fighting for his innocence. If he ever reappears, I will continue to fight zealously on his behalf.”
According to a New York Post report citing four sources close to the case, Araujo is believed to have left the country for his native Brazil — raising questions about how he did so after turning in his passport.
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Araujo’s wife and co-defendant Amanda Soares Felizardo Ungaro, 41, posted a video Wednesday that appears to show her husband smiling and sitting across from her at a restaurant table. It was not immediately clear when or where it was taken.
She faced seven charges in connection with the case against her husband and was deported earlier this year. She did not immediately respond to a message from Fox News Digital.
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Araujo had previously asked the court to allow him to return to his home country while awaiting trial — a request Judge Tanya Brinkley denied amid concerns that he would not be able to return to Florida, court documents reveal.
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According to a police affidavit, the Florida Department of Health confirmed that neither Araujo or Ungaro had any kind of medical license in the state.
Read the arrest warrant:
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At least one patient suffered injuries from a botched procedure, according to court documents.
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A victim identified in court documents as “AJ” told police that she visited Araujo for some lip and jaw filler and was injected with 17 bottles in a single sitting.
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The filler hardened, leaving lumps in her lips, jaw and cheekbone.
She initially paid $15,000, according to the complaint, but the price was reduced to $7,000.
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She went on to seek help from a licensed plastic surgeon.
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