Unlicensed Tattoo Artists in Virginia Arrested; Hepatitis C Concerns

By Kristinova V. Justimbaste, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, July 05, 2017

In Pulaski, Virginia, authorities continue to arrest local unlicensed tattoo artists with poor and unsanitary work operations that may possibly cause and spread hepatitis.

The Pulaski Police Department charged Bradley Allan Cook, Christopher Steven Alley, Timothy Andrew Hagee, and Keith Alan Brogan with a misdemeanor back in June, as it is illegal in Virginia to ink people without a license. This offense entails a maximum penalty of a year in jail as well as a fine of $2,500.

Authorities tracked the four men down through their business' promotions. Officers were able to secure the list of prices for various tattoo sizes that Cook uploaded on Facebook. Meanwhile, Brogan indicated through a post on the same social media portal that he was inking clients at his home. This was eventually confirmed by several witnesses.

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The recent slate of arrests is driven by a recent public health concern, the spreading of Hepatitis C, which is believed to have been caused by unclean practices of illegal tattooing.

"If you have received a tattoo from an unlicensed tattoo artist, especially from someone in the Meadowview apartments area, you should contact the Virginia Department of Health or other medical facility and be tested for this disease," a police statement issued last May reads.

According to the World Health Organization, Hepatitis C, a liver disease that could range from a mild illness to a life-long burden, is commonly spread through exposure to small quantities of blood. Unsafe health care practices and injection practices, transfusions of unscreened blood and blood products, as well as drug use through injection may spread the infection.

While the investigation continues, residents should expect the Pulaski Police to round up more people.

WHO notes that 399,000 individuals die each year from chronic Hepatitis C infection, which may be from cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma.

More updates should arrive soon.