The IV bag was already used, and the floor still had what officers described as “fresh blood.” What investigators say they could not find was any record that the woman running the room was licensed to treat patients.
Allegations at a North Dakota Med Spa
In Watford City, North Dakota, local police have accused Royals Medical Spa owner Kendra Cain of presenting herself as a registered nurse and performing medical procedures without any professional license on file. The case surfaced publicly after the spa abruptly closed in late January, following a cluster of complaints that prompted a criminal investigation.
The core allegation is simple but profound. Authorities say Cain held herself out as a nurse qualified to start intravenous lines and order medications, even though checks of state records turned up no license of any kind in her name. That account comes from Law & Crime’s reporting, which cites statements from the Watford City Police Department and local court records.
Cain was arrested and later charged with several felonies and misdemeanors. She is accused, not convicted. Court records reviewed by regional outlet KX News indicate she has been released from custody while the case proceeds, and her next court appearance is scheduled for March 26. Public filings do not yet clarify how she intends to plead.
What Police Say They Found Inside
According to a summary of a search warrant described by the McKenzie County Farmer and Law & Crime, officers arrived at Royals Medical Spa on January 22 with judicial authorization to search the premises. The business had opened only a few months earlier, in September 2025.
Inside a treatment room, officers reported seeing what appeared to be an IV setup that had recently been used. The area, they said, was “containing a used IV bag, tubing, syringe, needle, bandage, and an open sharps container.” Investigators also documented “fresh blood” on the floor near the IV site. Those descriptions are attributed to local reporting on the search, which in turn relies on law enforcement documents.
The warrant-backed search is central to the criminal case. It provided the factual basis for claims that invasive procedures were being performed in a spa setting by someone who, officials say, lacked any verifiable medical credentials. It also led police to a patient who turned out to be a nurse herself.
The Nurse Who Reported Her Own Provider
One of the complaints that reached police came from a Royals client, a registered nurse. Her account, as relayed by Law & Crime and the McKenzie County Farmer, is now a key narrative in the probable cause documents.
The nurse told investigators she had gone to Royals for IV therapy. During the appointment, she said, Cain struggled to insert the IV, and the patient felt compelled to guide her. According to the reporting, the nurse stated that she had to “coach” Cain through the process.
The patient also alleged that Cain left a tourniquet on her arm for too long. She told officers her hand turned purple while the IV was in place. More troubling to her as a clinician, she noticed air in the IV tubing. She reportedly warned that air in a line can lead to an air embolism, a complication that can be fatal if enough air enters the bloodstream.
There is no indication in the publicly available reporting that this nurse suffered lasting injury, and the documents do not describe a confirmed embolism or hospitalization. The allegation instead focuses on the perceived risk and the conduct she attributed to Cain during the procedure.
Licensing Records and Identity Use
The Watford City Police Department said a review of licensing databases showed no record of Cain as a registered nurse or any other type of medical professional in North Dakota. That is a central claim reported by both Law & Crime and the McKenzie County Farmer.
Investigators also allege that Cain did more than work without credentials. According to those outlets, police say she used the professional license of one of her staff members to schedule patients, prescribe medications, and perform procedures that legally require a licensed clinician.
If proven, that conduct would support several of the charges now on the table, including unauthorized use of personal identifying information and deceptive writings. The identity-related counts hinge on the allegation that Cain appropriated another person’s professional information and used it in business documents and medical records without lawful authority.
Regulatory filings from the North Dakota Board of Nursing are not cited directly in the publicly available news coverage, and no disciplinary actions against Cain are listed under her name in those reports. That absence aligns with police claims that she was never licensed, but it also highlights a gap in the public record. It is not yet clear whether the staff member whose license was allegedly used has faced any professional investigation or whether any state health regulators had prior concerns about Royals.
Criminal Charges and What Comes Next
After interviewing the nurse-patient and searching the spa, the police arrested Cain. According to KX News and Law & Crime, prosecutors have charged her with:
- Reckless endangerment. This relates to the alleged risks posed to the nurse during the IV procedure.
- Unauthorized use of personal identifying information. This covers the claimed use of an employee’s professional license and details.
- Deceptive writings. This concerns documents that allegedly misrepresented Cain’s qualifications or authority.
- Practicing as a nurse without proper certification. This is tied to the overall allegation that she held herself out as a nurse with no license on record.
Cain was booked into the McKenzie County Correctional Facility and later released. Reporting does not specify the conditions of her release, such as bond amount or restrictions on her business activity. Royals Medical Spa remains closed, according to local coverage.
North Dakota has seen other criminal cases involving unlicensed cosmetic or wellness procedures in recent years. Law & Crime has previously reported on an investigation where unlicensed cosmetic treatments allegedly left a woman hospitalized with “necrosis of the chin area” in a separate case. The Cain case fits into that broader pattern, but the specific facts and legal outcomes remain to be determined in court.
Several important details are still missing from the public record. Authorities have not disclosed how many patients may have received IVs or other medical services from Cain, or whether any additional people reported injuries. It is also not yet clear whether Cain had medical training that did not result in licensure, or how the alleged use of a staff member’s license first came to light.
Those unanswered questions will likely be addressed in future court hearings and regulatory reviews. For now, the picture that exists primarily comes from a single nurse’s account, a search warrant description, and the licensing checks reported by local reporters. Whether that evidence will be enough to persuade a jury, or whether more patients and documents will emerge, remains the central issue before McKenzie County prosecutors and the court.
