A Flushing man is accused of administering acupuncture treatments he was not licensed to perform that caused a woman’s lungs to collapse more than a year ago, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Yong De Lin, 66, was arraigned Sept. 18 in Queens Supreme Court on a four-count indictment charging him with assault in the first and second degrees, reckless endangerment in the first degree and unauthorized practice of a profession.
According to the charges, on May 10, 2022, Shujuan Jiang, 63, visited C&W Medical at 3808 Union St. in Flushing for relief of stomach and back pain and was introduced to Lin. She returned to the offices on May 16, 2022, and Lin administered acupuncture treatments to her stomach and back. Jiang returned for 16 additional treatments between May 18 and Oct. 28. During the final session, Jiang began to feel unwell after receiving treatment and laid down. After performing additional acupuncture and a cupping treatment, Lin sent Jiang home.
Jiang experienced shortness of breath on her way home and collapsed on the sidewalk, according to prosecutors. A bystander called 911 and Jiang was taken to a hospital, where it was determined that both of her lungs had collapsed because of the acupuncture treatments. Immediate surgery was required to save her life. Jiang remained hospitalized for six days.
Lin is not a licensed acupuncturist, nor has he ever applied for the required state licensure, according to prosecutors.
“The difference between receiving health care from a competent, licensed professional or someone who is unlicensed can mean the difference between life and death,” Katz said. “As alleged, the defendant was not licensed, nor had even bothered to apply for licensure, and he very nearly killed his patient. We urge any other victims to come forward.”.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino ordered Lin to return to court on Sept. 20. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
Meanwhile, Katz is urging anyone who received acupuncture treatments from Lin, who worked at C&W Medical offices in Flushing, to contact her office’s Elder Fraud unit at 718-286-6578.