A 17-year-old from Anhui province in China achieved worldwide infamy last June when he admitted to having sold one of his kidneys so he could buy an iPad. Complications from the surgery are now threatening his life, and it could leave him stuck with medical bills that dwarf the $3,500 he got for his kidney.

Reuters is reporting that 5 people, including the surgeon who removed the kidney, have been charged in connection to the surgery. Here’s more from the story:

The five included a surgeon who removed a kidney from a 17-year-old boy in April last year. The boy, identified only by his surname Wang, now suffers from renal deficiency, Xinhua quoted prosecutors in Chenzhou city, Hunan province as saying.

According to the Xinhua account, one of the defendants received about 220,000 yuan (about $35,000) to arrange the transplant. He paid Wang 22,000 yuan and split the rest with the surgeon, the three other defendants and other medical staff.

Trafficking in human organs has been illegal in China since 2007, but as you can see that law has not stopped the black market.

Reuters