Latest news with #TexasOccupationsCode
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
County attorney shuts down massage parlor near El Paso airport
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The County Attorney's Office announced that it has obtained a temporary restraining order to temporarily shut down a massage parlor near the El Paso International Airport. The temporary restraining order to shut down Oriental Massage Spa, 6301 Airport Road, came after an extensive investigation that showed ongoing violations of state law, the County Attorney's office said. The investigation, led by the El Paso Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, uncovered evidence of erotic services being offered at the spa, including sexual contact, along with the employment of unlicensed massage therapists, the County Attorney's Office said. In addition to these findings, the business was cited for numerous regulatory violations, including failure to maintain required employee and client records and failure to obtain proper client consultation documents, the County Attorney's Office said. The complaint outlines at least 27 violations of the Texas Occupations Code and 33 violations of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, the County Attorney's Office said. The lawsuit names Oriental Massage Spa LLC, Billy Wayne Fondren, Haifeng Xiao, and Yanling Wang as defendants. Yanling Wang and Haifeng Xiao are listed as the business owners, while Billy Wayne Fondren is the recorded property owner, the County Attorney's Office said. As a result of the Court's order, the business will remain closed at least until June 12. A hearing to determine whether a temporary injunction will be granted is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 12 in the 168th District Court. County Attorney Christina Sanchez said: 'Our Nuisance Abatement Team is dedicated to addressing community problems through civil litigation. When businesses habitually violate state law and operate as hubs for illegal activity, they become a detriment to the safety and well-being of our neighborhoods. 'This case demonstrates how we can use civil remedies, like nuisance abatement lawsuits, to shut down operations that contribute to larger issues and improve the quality of life for the citizens of El Paso County,' Sanchez said. This effort was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division Human Trafficking Unit, the El Paso Police Department Vice Unit, and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas midwife arrested and charged with performing illegal abortions
A midwife in Texas has been arrested and charged with performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without the appropriate license. Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, announced the arrest, which he said Monday happened earlier this month, after an investigation by his office. According to Paxton, the midwife, Maria Margarita Rojas, 49, is alleged to have owned and operated three health clinics in the northwest area of Houston. In a news release, Paxton accused Rojas of performing abortions in the clinics — which are banned by law in Texas — and of employing people who falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals. The case appears to be the first in which a health care provider in Texas has been criminally charged with performing an abortion since the state's ban went into effect in 2022. The abortion charge is considered a second-degree felony, with a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The charge related to medical licensing is a third-degree felony. The clinics did not comment when they were reached by phone, and Rojas did not immediately respond to inquiries. Court documents did not list a lawyer for her. The documents show that a district judge in Waller County first granted a warrant for Rojas' arrest on March 5, alleging criminal conspiracy to commit practicing medicine. She was booked at the Waller County Jail the following day, according to the documents, and charged March 7 with violating the Texas Occupations Code. She was later released on a $10,000 bond. On Monday, Rojas was arrested again, this time on charges of performing an abortion and violating the state's occupation code, the documents show. Those are alleged to have happened after Rojas' first arrest, according to the documents. Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore referred the case to the attorney general's office, the release said. Whittmore's office told NBC News that it anticipates that the attorney general will handle the prosecution. The Texas law that made it illegal to provide an abortion took effect shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The policy permits exceptions if a physician determines that terminating a pregnancy could save a pregnant person's life or prevent substantial impairment of a major bodily function. Paxton has pledged to enforce the ban, which targets providers, not patients. 'In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state's pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,' he said in a statement Monday. 'Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.' In December, Paxton sued a New York doctor, alleging she had prescribed abortion pills to a patient in Dallas. A Louisiana grand jury indicted the same doctor in January, saying she prescribed abortion pills — the first known instance of criminal charges' being filed against a provider for sending the pills across state lines. That doctor did not respond to requests for comment at the time and has not spoken about the case. New York has a so-called shield law that protects abortion providers in the state who prescribe pills to places where abortion is banned. This article was originally published on
NBC News
18-03-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Texas midwife arrested and charged with performing illegal abortions
A midwife in Texas has been arrested and charged with performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without the appropriate license. Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, announced the arrest on Monday, which he said had happened earlier this month, following an investigation by his office. According to Paxton, the midwife, Maria Margarita Rojas, age 49, allegedly owned and operated three health clinics in the northwest area of Houston. In a news release, Paxton accused Rojas of performing abortions in the clinics — which are banned by law in Texas — and of employing people who falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals. The case appears to be the first in which a healthcare provider in Texas has been criminally charged with performing an abortion since the state's ban went into effect in 2022. The abortion charge is considered a second-degree felony, with a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and fine of up to $10,000. The charge related to medical licensing is a third-degree felony. The clinics did not provide comment when reached by phone, and Rojas did not immediately respond to NBC News' inquiries. Court documents reviewed by NBC News did not list a lawyer for her. The documents show that a district judge in Waller County, Texas, first granted a warrant for Rojas' arrest on March 5, alleging criminal conspiracy to commit practicing medicine. She was booked at Waller County Jail the following day, per the documents, and charged March 7 with violating Texas Occupations Code. She was later released on a $10,000 bond. On Monday, Rojas was arrested again, this time on charges of performing an abortion and violating the state's occupation code, the documents show. Those alleged crimes happened after Rojas' first arrest, according to the documents. Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore referred the case to the attorney general's office, the release said. Whittmore's office told NBC News that it anticipates that the attorney general will handle the prosecution. The Texas law that made it illegal to provide an abortion took effect shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The policy permits exceptions if a physician determines that terminating a pregnancy could save a pregnant person's life or prevent substantial impairment of a major bodily function. Paxton has pledged to enforce the ban, which targets providers, not patients. 'In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state's pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,' he said in a statement on Monday. 'Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.' In December, Paxton sued a New York doctor, alleging that she had prescribed abortion pills to a patient in Dallas. The same doctor was indicted in January by a Louisiana grand jury for prescribing abortion pills — the first known instance of criminal charges filed against a provider for sending the pills across state lines. That doctor did not respond to NBC News' requests for comment at the time and has not spoken about the case.
