Jenifer Cleveland Case: Charges, Lawsuit, and Jenifer’s Law

The Jenifer Cleveland case involves the July 2023 death of a 47-year-old Fairfield, Texas woman who received an improperly administered IV infusion at Luxe Med Spa in Wortham. Nearly three years later, the spa’s unlicensed owner and its absentee medical director were charged with felony murder, manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide, and Texas enacted a new law requiring licensed medical professionals to prescribe and administer elective IV therapy.

What Happened at Luxe Med Spa

Cleveland worked at KNES Texas 99.1, a radio station serving the Fairfield area. On the morning of July 10, 2023, she went to Luxe Med Spa for an IV infusion. The solution contained vitamin B complex, ascorbic acid, cyanocobalamin, and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) electrolytes. TPN electrolytes include potassium chloride and, according to the Texas Medical Board, require a prescription and are known to cause complications.¹

Investigators determined TPN electrolytes should be administered at 83 to 125 milliliters per hour over 24 hours. Cleveland’s infusion began at 11:04 a.m. She lost consciousness 27 minutes later, at 11:31 a.m.² Staff performed CPR and called 911. Johnson’s attorney later said the spa’s first 911 calls returned a busy signal, and Johnson kept trying from a personal cell phone. Paramedics took Cleveland to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 12:24 p.m.¹

The Texas Medical Board concluded that Cleveland died of cardiac arrest due to the improper administration of the IV therapy, finding she had effectively overdosed on potassium chloride. A preliminary autopsy also noted mild cardiomegaly, an enlarged heart condition.²³

Who Was Running the Spa

Luxe Med Spa opened around May 2023 in Wortham, a small town in Freestone County. Amber Johnson, the owner, administered the infusion. She held no medical or healthcare license. The Texas Medical Board identified her as an unlicensed individual performing IV treatments and administering prescription pharmaceutical solutions.⁴ One investigative report described her background as that of a phlebotomist, a role Texas does not license.⁵

The spa’s medical director was Dr. Michael Patrick Gallagher, a Frisco-based anesthesiologist whose office sat more than 100 miles away. TMB records show he was physically present at the spa on only three occasions: the day it opened in May 2023, once in June, and the day Cleveland died.⁴ The Board found the facility had no medical protocols, policies, or procedures, and no licensed medical personnel on site when IV therapies were given.⁶

On October 12, 2023, the Texas Medical Board temporarily suspended Gallagher’s license, saying his continued practice posed a continuing threat to public welfare.⁷ On December 18, 2023, a disciplinary panel converted the suspension into a restriction. Gallagher’s license was limited to anesthesiology, and he was barred from all supervision, delegation, and prescriptive authority agreements.⁸ Luxe Med Spa’s website went offline and the business closed.

Criminal Charges

The Texas Attorney General’s office is prosecuting the case in Freestone County.⁹

Amber Johnson turned herself in on April 28, 2026, and was booked into the Freestone County Jail. She faces 14 counts:

Felony murder (1)
Manslaughter (1)
Criminally negligent homicide (1)
Delivery of a dangerous drug (8)
Tampering with physical evidence (1)
Practicing medicine without a license (1)

She posted a total bond of $69,000 and was released.⁹

Gallagher turned himself in the next day, April 29, 2026. He faces 25 counts:

Felony murder (1)
Manslaughter (1)
Criminally negligent homicide (1)
Delivery or offer of delivery of a dangerous drug (9)
Practicing medicine in violation of subtitle (13)

His bond was set at $96,500, which he posted.⁹ As of early May 2026, no trial dates or pretrial hearings had been scheduled for either defendant.¹⁰

The Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Brian Cleveland, Jenifer’s husband, filed a civil wrongful death suit against Amber Johnson and The Luxe Medspa by Amber Johnson, LLC. He is named as plaintiff individually, on behalf of Jenifer’s estate, and as next friend of a minor child, alongside other family members. As of February 2026, the case was pending before the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas, which had granted an extension for filing briefs.¹¹

Jenifer’s Law

Before Cleveland’s death, Texas had no specific statute governing elective IV therapy administered outside hospitals and physician offices. The Texas Medical Board took the position that IV hydration services were the practice of medicine and required physician oversight, but enforcement was uneven. Dr. Sherif Zaafran, the Board’s president, called the situation a “free-for-all,” with clinics operating in a gray area.⁵

Brian Cleveland worked with Texas Representative Angelia Orr and Dr. Kelly Green to push for new legislation. House Bill 3749, known as Jenifer’s Law, was signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025, and took effect September 1, 2025.²¹²

The law adds Chapter 172 to the Texas Occupations Code. It applies to elective IV therapy, meaning the administration of fluids, nutrients, medications, or blood for temporary wellness or symptom relief, when provided outside physician offices, licensed health facilities, and hospitals. Its core requirements:

Elective IV therapy must be prescribed or ordered by a physician, or by a physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse acting under a written prescriptive authority agreement with a supervising physician.
Only physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice registered nurses, or registered nurses may administer elective IV therapy.
All delegated care must occur under adequate physician supervision, defined as what a reasonable, prudent physician would consider consistent with sound medical judgment. The physician need not be physically present at all times but must exercise ongoing oversight.
Prescriptive authority agreements must be reviewed, signed, and dated annually, registered with the Texas Medical Board, and include protocols for emergencies, consultation, and quality assurance. A physician may hold such agreements with a maximum of seven practitioners.

The practical effect: someone in Amber Johnson’s position, an unlicensed spa owner with no medical credentials, can no longer legally administer IV therapy to customers.¹²

Speaking about the law in April 2025, Brian Cleveland told KCEN: “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.”²

1
American Med Spa Association. The Texas Med Spa IV Therapy Death: What You Need to Know
2
People. Medspa Owner Charged With Murder After Allegedly Administering IV Cocktail Too Quickly
3
KWTX. Jenifer Cleveland, Staff Member at Radio Station KNES Texas 99.1, Passes Away at Age 47
4
ClearHealthCosts. A Medspa Death, an Investigation, and a License Suspension
5
Arnolt Center. The Drip: Lack of Regulation in Growing IV Therapy Hydration Industry Potentially Puts Patients at Risk
6
KWTX. Amber Johnson Facing Multiple Charges in Freestone County Including Murder, Manslaughter
7
Fox 4 News. Frisco Physician Suspended After Woman’s Death at Med Spa
8
Texas Medical Board. TMB Restricts Frisco Physician Gallagher
9
Freestone County Times. Charges for Med Spa Death
10
KWTX. Michael Patrick Gallagher Facing Murder, Manslaughter Charges in Death of Jenifer Cleveland
11
Leagle. Cleveland v. Johnson, No. 05-25-01723-CV
12
Texas Legislature. H.B. No. 3749, Enrolled