Woman got hepatitis from illegal tattooist, Norfolk officials say

NORFOLK

A Virginia Beach woman made a costly mistake when she got a tattoo from a man operating illegally out of his East Ocean View home, city officials said.

The woman, whom officials declined to identify, said she was infected with acute hepatitis B when she received the tattoo last month, Deputy City Attorney Cynthia B. Hall said.

Police arrested James A. Murray, a licensed tattoo artist, at his 12th Bay Street home on May 15, Hall said. Murray was indicted on five charges, including operating an illegal tattoo parlor and for failing to have a tattoo parlor permit.

Murray was not indicted for infecting the Beach woman. Hall said spreading hepatitis B is not covered under a state statute dealing with infectious biological substances.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus that can lead to jaundice, vomiting and, in rare instances, death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Murray called the charges "bogus" when reached by phone Wednesday and said he did not infect anyone.

"I don't believe this woman exists," he said. He said he sterilized his needles and doesn't know how an infection could have been spread.

He said city officials have refused to provide him with the woman's name.

Hall heads the city's Convenience Store Task Force, composed of officials from police, fire, health, planning and the city attorney's offices that regulates stores, flea markets and illegal businesses. Tattoo parlors can't be operated out of private homes and must be licensed by the city.

The Norfolk Health Department told Hall's group that a Beach woman had been infected with hepatitis. Hall said the woman did not remember the address where she received the tattoo but gave her Murray's phone number.

Hall called Murray to set up an appointment. She and members of the task force all arrived for the appointment.

Murray's business was called Skin Flix Tattoos, she said. His business card indicated that in addition to doing tattoos in his home, he also made house calls and performed tattoos at parties, she said. Officials confiscated Murray's tattoo equipment, including hundreds of used needles and a pressure cooker Murray said he used to sterilize needles.

"He was not cooperative," Hall said. "We told him about the hepatitis health issue and all he said was, 'When can I have my tattoo equipment back?' "

Virginia Beach Health Department officials declined to release any information on the woman's condition, citing privacy concerns.

The CDC estimates that in 2007, about 43,000 people were infected nationwide with hepatitis B.

Larry Hill, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Health, said instances of diseases being spread by illegal tattoo artists are not tracked by state officials.

"This is the first time I've heard of that happening," Hill said. "But you put your health at risk going outside the confines of people who are properly licensed. People doing it illegally aren't being monitored."

Hall is urging others who received tattoos from Murray to call her office at (757) 664-4214 or Norfolk Environmental Health at (757) 683-2712.

Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com