LA man pleads guilty to importing illegal erectile dysfunction drugs

A Los Angeles-based man has pleaded guilty to illegally importing active ingredients used in erectile dysfunction drugs with a value of up to $550,000.

Joseph Jinn pleaded guilty to conspiring to bring the drugs into the US through false statements on Wednesday, March 22.

He had allegedly repackaged the drugs and sold them as herbal sexual enhancement products.

Jinn admitted that he had imported tadalafil, sildenafil and dapoxetine, which are the active ingredients in drugs including Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil).

According to a press release, Jinn also admitted to falsely claiming to customs officials that the shipments were “cooked powder and tools”, “Chinese bread-baking mixture” and other materials.

The illegal products were allegedly sold in shops and over the internet without the necessary prescriptions required by the Food and Drug Administration.

Sandra Brown, acting US attorney, said: “These products were falsely and dangerously marketed as herbal supplements, when in truth they were unregulated prescription medications that are harmful to some people.”

She added: “The scheme began with a smuggling operation, and the conduct continued with the distribution of supplements falsely labelled as natural and safe.”

A district court judge has scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 19.

The press release stated that Jinn will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

Jinn had also agreed to forfeit approximately $105,000 that was seized from his bank accounts during the investigation.

Joseph Macias, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles, said: “Imposter drugs pose a serious threat to consumers who mistakenly assume these substances are safe.

“The reality is that unscrupulous providers who introduce untested products into the marketplace purely to turn a profit are putting their unwitting client in harm’s way.”