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By Laura Zuckerman Laura Zuckerman Thu Nov 18, 2:01 pm ET
SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) An Idaho judge has set bond at $100,000 for a Boise
woman police say posed as a physician and duped at least two other women into
having their breasts examined by her at Boise-area nightclubs.
Kristina Ross, 37, remains in Ada County Jail in Boise on two felony counts of
practicing medicine without a license.
Police say Ross introduced herself to victims -- one at a downtown Boise bar
and the other at a nightclub in a Boise suburb -- as a plastic surgeon named
Berlyn Aussieahshowna, a name that turned out to be bogus.
The two women told Boise officers they believed Ross was a physician because of
her apparent medical knowledge, and they agreed to undergo what they thought
were breast exams, which happened at the bars.
As part of her ruse, Ross gave the women the telephone number of a real
licensed plastic surgeon in Boise, the state capital, authorities said.
Staff at that medical office became alarmed at the number of calls they
received from women in recent weeks attempting to confirm appointments or
surgeries with a Berlyn Aussieahshowna, according to charging documents.
Medical workers on Tuesday alerted Boise police about the pattern, and they
later arrested Ross.
The suspect's gender is unclear. Idaho court records show that Ross was
arrested for petty theft in the spring and that the arrest warrant was issued
to a Kristoffer Jon Ross.
The Idaho Statesman website reported that Ross has a previous criminal record
as a man but identifies herself as a woman and was booked into Ada County Jail
as a female.
Cosmetic surgical procedures Ross discussed with victims after she touched
their breasts under the guise of a medical evaluation included breast
augmentation and liposuction.
The court on Wednesday found Ross was eligible for a public defender and set a
preliminary hearing on the two felony charges for December 1. If convicted,
Ross could face a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000
for each count.
(Editing by Steve Gorman and Peter Bohan)