On the surface, Dean Faiello seemed to have it all, from a successful medical practice with high-end Manhattan clientele to a meticulously restored Gilded Age mansion outside the city. But things were not as they seemed: even though Faiello ― whose cosmetology practice focused on high-powered lasers — presented himself as a doctor, he had no medical training. His deceit turned deadly for patient Maria Cruz, who saw Faiello for a procedure after authorities had already charged him for practicing medicine without a license. In a new “20/20,” ABC News senior investigative correspondent David Scott has an exclusive interview with Faiello, who appears on camera for the first time since going to prison to detail what he says really happened to Cruz on that tragic day. For the first time, he describes in his own words the shocking events at the center of the case, including the never-before-reported story of how he fled to Costa Rica and tried to get adopted as a 40-year-old in an attempt to avoid extradition to the United States.

The two-hour special also includes interviews with investigative journalists Jeane MacIntosh and Barbara Nevins Taylor, whose undercover investigations first exposed that Faiello was practicing medicine without a license; his former romantic partner Greg Bach, who gave authorities a critical tip; investigator Brian Ford, who played a key role in cracking the case; other former friends and colleagues of Faiello, who shed light on his drug use and state-of-mind; and friends of victim Maria Cruz. “20/20” airs Friday, Dec. 9 (9:01-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC, next day on Hulu.

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