A Texas medspa owner and a doctor are now facing serious criminal charges after a woman allegedly died from a dangerously administered IV treatment that investigators say was given far too quickly.
Jenifer Cleveland, 47, died on July 10, 2023, after visiting a medspa in Wortham for what should have been a routine wellness treatment. Instead, authorities say the IV infusion triggered a deadly medical emergency that sent her into cardiac arrest within minutes.
According to indictments obtained by PEOPLE, Cleveland received an “IV cocktail” at Amber Johnson’s Luxe Medspa that contained multiple vitamins and electrolytes, including potassium chloride — a substance that can become deadly if administered improperly.
Investigators claim the infusion was delivered at an unsafe speed.
Johnson turned herself in to authorities on April 28 and was booked into the Freestone County Jail. She now faces a long list of charges, including felony murder, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, practicing medicine without a license, tampering with physical evidence, and multiple counts related to the delivery of dangerous drugs.
Jail officials confirmed she was later released on a $69,000 bond.
Authorities say Cleveland’s IV treatment began shortly after 11 a.m. on July 10, 2023. Just 27 minutes later, she reportedly lost consciousness, collapsed, and had no pulse.
She was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Medical experts say potassium chloride must be administered slowly and carefully monitored because too much potassium entering the body too quickly can trigger catastrophic complications, including irregular heart rhythms, organ failure, and sudden death.
The Texas Medical Board later launched an investigation into the shocking death.
Following a months-long review, investigators concluded Cleveland died from cardiac arrest caused by the “improper administration” of the IV therapy, according to an August 2024 order suspending the license of Dr. Michael Gallagher, the physician accused of overseeing the medspa.
Authorities allege Johnson did not hold a medical license but still operated the medspa despite Texas laws restricting non-physicians from owning medical practices.
Investigators also accused Gallagher of failing to properly supervise Johnson and allegedly allowing her to use his medical license to obtain dangerous medical substances.
Gallagher was arrested on April 29 and hit with multiple charges of his own, including felony murder, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and numerous counts tied to dangerous drug distribution and illegal medical practices.
He was released on a $96,500 bond.
In the wake of Jenifer’s death, her husband Brian Cleveland filed a civil lawsuit against Luxe Medspa and later pushed for stricter regulations surrounding elective IV therapy clinics.
His efforts eventually led to the passing of “Jenifer’s Law,” which was signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2025. The law created tighter oversight rules for nontraditional healthcare facilities that offer elective IV treatments.
Before the legislation passed, Brian spoke emotionally about the wife he lost.
“She loved life. She loved her people,” he said. “She just wanted to love.”
He added that having the legislation named after Jenifer felt like a way for her legacy to continue helping others long after her death.
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