FDA Accuses Florida Man of International Cancer Drug Conspiracy

A Florida man faces 35 counts of criminal charges for selling unapproved, misbranded oncology drugs. Federal authorities are accusing him of engaging in an elaborate and illicit scheme to sell cancer drugs to U.S. doctors out of his Boca Raton home. This man allegedly sold about $7 million dollars of these medications through a Canadian call center and a drug store in California.

The Food and Drug Administration says that this Florida man was a part of a conspiracy to import illegal prescriptions from Turkey, Pakistan and India. The FDA says that the drugs were shipped in bulk to the pharmacy between 2005 and 2011. The allegations against this 62-year-old man include mail fraud, wire fraud, illegal importation and money laundering. If convicted of these counts, he could spend 131 years in prison. The feds are also seeking forfeiture of any money he made from this purported conspiracy and his vehicle.

According to the indictment, the Florida man and his co-conspirators operated a call center in Winnipeg, Canada. U.S. physicians placed drug orders to the center by phone, fax or email. The center then directed prescription orders to the California pharmacy. The FDA says that this direction to California mislead U.S oncologists into believing that the cancer drugs were approved for use in the U.S.

Facing 35 counts of criminal charges and the possibility of more than 130 years in prison is no laughing matter. When your freedom is at risk, it’s imperative that you understand your rights. Even if you’ve been charged with serious federal crimes, you still have rights. You have the right to defend yourself in court as well as the right to an attorney who can help with your defense. Facing charges does not mean all is lost, and not everyone who is accused of a crime is guilty.

Source: ICE, “Florida man charged with selling $7 million of unapproved oncology drugs through San Diego pharmacy,” Oct. 1, 2012

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