Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Non-Doctor Pleads Not Guilty Of Manslaughter By Penis Enhancement
By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 11, 2012
Modified Sep 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 11, 2012
Modified Sep 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Illegal plastic surgery can not only lead to terrible results, it can also be fatal—as one young man tragically discovered last year. But is that the fault of the "doctor?" Earlier today 35-year-old Kasia Rivera pleaded not guilty in the 2011 death of 22-year-old Justin Street. According to the medical examiner, Street died of a silicone embolism after Rivera performed a penis enlargement procedure on him in her home.
On May 5, 2011, Rivera—who has no medical training but seems to have been injected a few times herself—allegedly shot silicone directly into Street's bloodstream in an effort to make the young father of two's sex organ bigger. The procedure, performed in Rivera's home, didn't work. Instead it shut down the young man's organs, quickly killing him. In December his death was ruled a homicide and now Rivera, who is out on $75,000 bail, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of second-degree reckless manslaughter.
"The state is not alleging at all that she purposely caused his death, but that her behavior, her acting with no training, no preparation led to his death." Essex County Assistant Prosecutor William Neafsey explained after the hearing today. "Performing this type of procedure, basically a surgical procedure on him without any proper training or certificates, that’s why it’s reckless."
One of the many morals of this story? Don't get plastic surgery in somebody's home. Also, if you've already fathered two children maybe you don't need a bigger dong.
Tagged
justin street
manslaughter
new jersey
penis enlargement
plastic surgery
silicone
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
16 arrested in New York auto insurance fraud crackdown involving nearly $500K
State officials say the cases include staged crashes and fraudulent medical claims, with seven arrests in the Bronx alone.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 20, 2026 at 6:34 p.m. ET
Coney Island's small, 1890s lighthouse may be landmarked by the city
It's in the private community of Sea Gate. Family members of the lighthouse's last civilian keeper are keeping its history alive.
By
Catalina Gonella
News
Coney Island's small, 1890s lighthouse may be landmarked by the city
It's in the private community of Sea Gate. Family members of the lighthouse's last civilian keeper are keeping its history alive.
By
Catalina Gonella
New renderings are out for Queens' Metropolitan Park casino
By
Willow Higgins
Inside Luigi Mangione's legal strategy before his federal guilty plea
By
Samantha Max
NYC proposes crackdown down on AI customer service chatbots
By
Arya Sundaram
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .