A Frisco physician and the unlicensed owner of a Freestone County medical spa are now facing murder charges nearly three years after a 47-year-old woman died following an IV infusion treatment gone fatally wrong.
Jenifer Cleveland visited Luxe Med Spa in Wortham, Texas in July 2023 seeking what should have been a routine wellness procedure. She never returned home. Investigators say she collapsed after receiving an IV infusion administered by spa owner Amber Johnson, who held no medical license or clinical credentials.
Dr. Michael Gallagher, a Frisco-based physician who served as the medical director for Luxe Med Spa, has also been arrested and arraigned in connection with Cleveland’s death. Both Gallagher and Johnson now face multiple charges including murder.
The Texas Medical Board moved to temporarily suspend Gallagher’s medical license following his arrest on a charge of criminally negligent homicide tied to the incident. The Wortham spa has since shut down permanently.
Buzz Russell, a close friend of Cleveland’s, said he was encouraged by the thoroughness of the investigation leading to the charges. He noted that prosecutors appeared determined to pursue every available avenue before bringing the case forward.
Russell said Cleveland’s death represents a loss that should have been entirely preventable and that she should still be alive today enjoying life with those who knew her.
Gallagher’s legal team issued a statement acknowledging Cleveland’s death as a tragedy but placing full responsibility on Johnson. The attorneys argued the evidence points exclusively to Johnson as the person responsible for what happened that day. No response was received from Johnson’s legal representation.
The case has drawn attention to broader concerns about oversight and regulation of medical spas operating across Texas. Critics have long raised alarms about unlicensed individuals performing medical procedures at wellness facilities with limited accountability.
Under Texas law, IV infusions and similar clinical treatments must be administered by licensed medical professionals operating under proper supervision. Prosecutors allege that neither condition was met at Luxe Med Spa on the day Cleveland collapsed.
The arraignment of both defendants marks a significant development in a case that has lingered for nearly three years without criminal charges. Cleveland’s friends and supporters say the arrests bring long-overdue accountability for a death that devastated those who knew her.
The case is expected to move through the Freestone County court system in the months ahead as prosecutors and defense attorneys prepare their respective arguments. Both Gallagher and Johnson are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
