Four arrested over fake dietary supplements
Four people have been arrested and charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods, after an investigation found that they had sold fake dietary supplements for male enhancement or weight loss.
Special agents with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations worked with the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and other agencies on the investigation.
The defendants sold the products, with names including XXXplosion and Rhino 69, through online stores on platforms such as eBay.com and Bonanzo.com.
Many of the counterfeit male-enhancement drugs contained the active pharmaceutical ingredient sildenafil, found in products such as Viagra and Cialis. The four also sold counterfeit condoms.
From October 2013, the defendants purchased fake or misbranded dietary supplements and condoms in China and imported them into the US.
When ordering the illegal goods, the defendants had the packages shipped to a trans-shipper located in Miami, Florida who would then repackage and/or relabel the parcels and send them to Puerto Rico.
The defendants were also accused of selling counterfeit Kylie Cosmetics brand products, including lipstick kits. Kylie Cosmetics is owned by reality TV star Kylie Jenner.
Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, US attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, said: “Some of these medications contained drugs that the consumers were not aware of and could cause danger to their health, including heart attacks or strokes.”
The defendants face a forfeiture allegation of nearly $3.7 million, six properties or homes, two bank accounts, one PayPal account, and three certificates of deposit.
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