In an unexpected twist, a Brazilian man facing serious legal accusations in Miami has vanished just days before his trial. Authorities allege that Joao Batista Cunha De Araujo, accused of executing unauthorized plastic surgeries, disappeared amid a slew of charges related to theft, fraud, and practicing medicine without a license.
Araujo, 57, who has been pejoratively nicknamed “Dr. Frankenstein” by detractors, is charged with 14 counts, including 13 felonies within Miami-Dade County. His arrest followed a covert operation prompted by anonymous tips, where an undercover officer, posing as a patient, sought a consultation for chin liposuction and allegedly received a quote for the surgery.
Following his arrest, Araujo complied with a court order to surrender his passport and was equipped with an ankle monitor. Despite these precautions, he has since slipped off the radar, leaving authorities baffled.
An image of Araujo was released by the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department. (Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department)
Local law enforcement is redirecting inquiries about Araujo’s disappearance to the U.S. Marshals and the Brazilian government. At the time of reporting, neither entity had provided a comment on the situation.
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.
A man resembling Araujo appeared in a video posted to his wife’s Instagram story Wednesday morning. Amanda Ungaro, a co-defendant in the criminal case, had previously been deported from the U.S. It was not immediately clear when or where the video had been taken. (Amanda Ungaro/Instagram)
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 They were unable to locate Araujo or the ankle monitor, and his house arrest was revoked and a Miami judge issued a new arrest warrant and authorized full extradition.
Authorities allege this still image taken from an Instagram video linked to Araujo shows him performing a laser face-lifting process. They used the watch and bracelets pictured on his left wrist to link him to other photos where the surgeon’s face is not shown. (Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office)
Araujo’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, told News Media 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.”
Joao Araujo pictured at a podium in a photograph included in court documents. (Miami-Dade County Clerk)
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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Amanda Ungaro and Paolo Zampolli pictured at an event on May 16, 2019 in New York City. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Paolo Zampolli)
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 News Media.
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.
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:
CALIFORNIA DOCTOR CONVICTED OF $45M MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME THAT FUNDED LUXURY VACATIONS AND A $12K CROSSBOW
At least one patient suffered injuries from a botched procedure, according to court documents.
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.
Police cars are seen outside the Miami-Dade County courthouse in Miami, Florida on November 8, 2019. (ZAK BENNETT/AFP via Getty Images)
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.
She went on to seek help from a licensed plastic surgeon.