Medspa Owner Charged With Murder After Allegedly Administering IV Cocktail 'Too Quickly', Causing Woman’s Death

A Texas woman suffered cardiac arrest and died shortly after allegedly receiving IV therapy that was administered “too quickly.”

Jenifer Cleveland, 47, died on July 10, 2023, after visiting Luxe Medspa in Texas that day. Prosecutors allege the clinic’s owner, Amber Johnson, administered an IV infusion containing vitamins and electrolytes in a dangerous manner.

According to jail records obtained by PEOPLE, Johnson turned herself in and was booked into the Freestone County Jail on April 28. She faces charges including felony murder, criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence, practicing medicine without a license, and nine counts of delivery of a dangerous drug.

Johnson was released on a $69,000 bond the same day.

Court documents allege that Cleveland overdosed on potassium chloride administered by Johnson.

She reportedly received 1,000 mL of an “IV cocktail” containing total parenteral nutrition (TPN) electrolytes, which are typically used in intravenous feeding to provide patients with essential nutrients.

According to AmeriPharma, TPN electrolytes should be infused slowly at a rate of 83 to 125 mL per hour over a 24-hour period to avoid serious complications.

Improper administration and monitoring can allow unsafe levels of potassium to enter the body, potentially causing cardiac arrhythmia, kidney dysfunction, muscle weakness or spasms, metabolic disturbances, or death.

Cleveland’s infusion allegedly began around 11:04 a.m. on July 10, 2023. Twenty-seven minutes later, at approximately 11:31 a.m., she lost consciousness, collapsed, and had no pulse, Johnson’s attorney, David E. Moore, told KWTX.

Cleveland was transported to a local hospital, where she was admitted in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead minutes later.

The Texas Medical Board later investigated her death. The board said that Cleveland died of cardiac arrest “due to the improper administration” of IV therapy, according to the board’s August 2024 order suspending the license of Johnson’s alleged medical supervisor, Dr. Michael Gallagher.

According to the indictment, Johnson ran the medspa despite Texas laws prohibiting individuals without a medical license from serving as majority owners of medical practices.

Investigators allege Johnson worked with Gallagher, who failed “to adequately supervise” her, allowed her to use his medical license to obtain TPN electrolytes, and failed to monitor the drugs she acquired and administered, according to Gallagher’s indictment obtained by PEOPLE.

An arrest warrant for Gallagher was executed on April 29, and he was charged with felony murder, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, nine counts of delivery or offer to deliver a dangerous drug, and 13 counts of practicing medicine in violation of subtitle regulations. Gallagher was released on a $96,500 bond on April 29.

Following Jenifer Cleveland's death, her husband, Brian Cleveland, filed a civil lawsuit against Luxe Medspa. He also worked alongside Angelia Orr and Dr. Kelly Green to help pass “Jenifer’s Law,” which was signed by Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

The law establishes comprehensive regulations for nontraditional healthcare facilities that administer elective IV therapy.

Before the legislation passed, Brian Cleveland said that his late wife “loved life” and “loved her people.”

“She just wanted to love, that’s basically the best way I can describe her,” Brian said in April 2025. “Naming the legislation after Jenifer is maybe her way of giving back... Continue to help even though she's not physically still here with us, that she’s always gonna be right here in the heart.”