Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) Press Releases RSS Feed

Former South Florida Pharmacy CEO Sentenced to Prison for Lying to Federal Investigators

DOJ — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 10:27:57 EST

Feb. 23, Patrick Smith, 71, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the former CEO and President of Patient Care America (PCA), a compounding pharmacy located in Broward County, was sentenced to 6 months in prison for lying to federal agents who were investigating PCA for various health care fraud offenses.

Family Dollar Stores LLC Pleads Guilty to Holding Consumer Products Under Insanitary Conditions, Agrees to Pay $41.675 Million in Connection with Rodent-Infested Warehouse

DOJ — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:02:50 EST

Family Dollar Stores LLC Pleads Guilty to Holding Consumer Products Under Insanitary Conditions, Agrees to Pay $41.675 Million in Connection with Rodent-Infested Warehouse -
Largest Ever Monetary Criminal Penalty in Food Safety Matter. 400 Family Dollar stores in AL, MO, MS, LA, AR, TN

Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Adulteration of Fentanyl

DOJ — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 14:35:34 EST

A former nurse pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to adulteration of fentanyl at a local hospital. Caroline Sheehan, 39, of Lowell, Mass. pleaded guilty to one count of adulteration of a prescription drug with intent to defraud and mislead.

Collegeville Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Scheme to Sell Fraudulent Canine Cancer Drugs to Pet Owners

DOJ — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:47:24 EST

Dr. Jonathan Nyce, 73, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 97 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500 special assessment for carrying out a years-long scheme to defraud pet owners of money by falsely claiming to sell drugs that could cure canine cancer.

California Man Sentenced for Smuggling Fraudulent Cognitive Enhancement Drug Into the United States from China

DOJ — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:16:37 EST

A California man was sentenced in federal court in Springﬁeld, Mass. for smuggling tianeptine, a highly-addictive drug that claims to enhance mood and cognitive functioning, into the United States from China. Ryan Stabile, 37, will serve 2 years in prison, 3 years probation, fined $1,833,922

Covetrus Pleads Guilty to Criminal Misbranding of Veterinary Prescription Drugs

DOJ — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 14:04:52 EST

Covetrus North America LLC, a company based in Dublin, OH, which sells veterinary products to customers across the US, pled guilty today to causing the introduction and delivery of misbranded veterinary Rx drugs into interstate commerce. Covetrus will pay over $23 million in fines & forfeitures

Lexington Doctor Found Guilty of Engaging in International Money Laundering Scheme, Importing Illegal Merchandise and Receipt and Delivery of a Misbranded Drug

DOJ — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 13:55:17 EST

A Lexington, Mass. doctor was convicted today following a 14-day jury trial in connection with an international money laundering scheme involving importing illegal, misbranded drugs. Rahim Shafa, 66, was convicted of international money laundering, and delivering misbranded drugs

Pennsylvania Man Sentenced To 78 Months In Prison For Trafficking Stolen Medical Products From Battle Creek VA Medical Center

DOJ — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 12:32:50 EST

Steven William Anderson, Jr., 45, of Selinsgrove, PA, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in a multi-year conspiracy to trafﬁc stolen diabetic test strips from the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, harming the VA, veterans who rely on VA services, and the taxpayers.

Arizona Company and CEO Sentenced for Illegal Distribution of Tianeptine and Other Drugs and Ordered to Forfeit $2.4 Million

DOJ — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 17:36:56 EST

Centera Bioscience, d/b/a Nootropics Depot (Arizona) company and CEO Paul Eftang, 38, were sentenced today in federal court in Concord for distributing drugs into interstate commerce, including tianeptine, that were not approved by the FDA, paid a $2.4 million fine and surrendered all seized drugs

Former Employee of Medical Device Manufacturer Sentenced for Forging Two FDA Letters that Led to Illegal Sale of Medical Devices

DOJ — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 14:44:10 EST

The Justice Department announced today that a federal judge sentenced a Philadelphia-area man to prison yesterday for his role in distributing medical devices without U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance. Peter Stoll III, 35, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and 1 year probation.

Texas Company Pleads Guilty to Distributing Misbranded Dietary Supplements and Agrees to $4.5 Million Forfeiture

DOJ — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 16:26:34 EST

Defyned Brands, an Austin, Texas, company also known as 5 Star Nutrition LLC, pleaded guilty today to a three-count information charging it with distributing misbranded dietary supplements. The company shipped misbranded products known as Epivar, Alpha Shredded and Laxobolic

Pharmacist Sentenced for Illegally Dispensing Promethazine Cough Syrup and Earning Millions in Profits

DOJ — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 11:27:14 EST

DETROIT - Livonia pharmacy owner Zaman Alshafey was sentenced to three years in federal prison by United States District Court Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey following his guilty plea to wire fraud and money laundering. He was also ordered to forfeit approximately $9 million dollars of gross proceeds.

Counterfeit Prescription Drug Distributor Sentenced to Federal Prison

DOJ — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 13:30:33 EST

A federal judge sentenced a TX man to over 17 years in prison for a counterfeit prescription drug distribution operation. Kevin Olando Ombisi, 34, of Katy, Texas, sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine + 3 years supervised release without parole.

Two Former Nurses Indicted in Connection to the Diversion of Dangerous Narcotics by Medical Professionals

DOJ — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:34:06 EST

Robin Nichols, 63, of Newbury, and Lisa Richardson, 47, of Northﬁeld, was indicted on one count of Tampering with Consumer Products and one count of Obtaining a Controlled Drug by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Deception, or Subterfuge. Nichols will appear in federal court in Concord on 12/8/23

Florida Medical Clinic Owner and Pharmacy Technician Sentenced to Prison in Clinical Trial Fraud Scheme

DOJ — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:58:30 EST

Florida Medical Clinic Owner and Pharmacy Technician Sentenced to Prison in Clinical Trial Fraud Scheme

Operator of Central California Bio-Lab Indicted for Distributing Adulterated and Misbranded COVID-19 Tests and Lying to Authorities

DOJ — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 13:43:47 EST

FDA OCI, Jia Bei Zhu, aka, Jesse Zhu, Qiang He, David He, citizen, China, Clovis, CA, Reedley, distribute, adulterated, misbranded, medical, devices, Universal Meditech Incorporated, UMI, Prestige Biotech, COVID-19, test, kits, false, statements,

Brothers Sent to Prison for Operating $13M Multi-state Stolen Goods Enterprise

DOJ — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:57:33 EST

FDA OCI, Yasser Saleh Ouwad, Bilal Saleh Awad, Lebanon, U.S. citizens, Houston, organized, retail, crime, transport, stolen, fencing, multi-state, high-level, over-the-counter, OTC, medicine, diabetic, test strips, health, beauty, supplies, repackaging, boosters, remove, anti-theft, stickers,

Nampa Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Selling Over $4.4 Million in Unapproved Steroid-Like Drugs

DOJ — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:54:38 EST

FDA OCI, Michael Terry Little, Nampa, Idaho, Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, SARMs, process, bulk, ingredients, China, sold, website, SARMTECH, synthetic, chemicals, mimic, effects, testosterone, anabolic steroids, intentionally, mispackaged, falsely, declared, vitamins,

Unlicensed Wholesaler Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Foreign Unapproved New Drugs and Mail Fraud

DOJ — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 09:30:22 EDT

FDA OCI, Marina Sievert, Dunedin, FL, sentence, 2 years, prison, mail fraud, foreign, unapproved, new drug, Beauty Forever Florida, BFF, misbranded, Innotox, Medytox, Meditoxin, botulinum toxin type A, potent, toxin, botulism, Korea, drug trafficking,

Arizona Company and CEO Plead Guilty to the Distribution of Drugs Not Approved by the FDA and Will Pay $2.4 Million

DOJ — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 10:44:09 EDT

FDA OCI, Centera Bioscience, d/b/a Nootropics Depot, Paul Eftang, CEO, guilty, plea, misbranded, drugs, tianeptine, adrafinil, phenibut, racetams, Nootropicsdepot.com, forfeit, $2.4 million, piracetam, aniracetam, coluracetam, phenylpiracetam,