Pinoy nabbed for selling fake Viagra
by Pasckie Pascua
LOS ANGELES—A Filipino man was sentenced for illegal distribution of counterfeit Viagra and Cialis sex performance-enhancing drugs over the Internet.
Randy Gonzales, 40, was sentenced in Houston TX last Friday, November 21, to 20 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for his role in a scheme to manufacture, import and distribute counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs in the United States.
This sentence was announced by acting U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson, Southern District of Texas, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent in Charge Robert Rutt.
Charged in June 2006, Gonzalez is the first foreign national to be extradited to the U.S. for conspiring to import and distribute counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Gonzales was extradited to the United States from Bangkok, Thailand, on March 26, 2008 and indicted four days later.
The investigation was conducted by special agents from ICE and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA).
Beginning in July 2005, agents discovered that Gonzales, using various email addresses, including: ac220875@hotmail.com and omarichina@hotmail.com, was advertising the sale of Viagra and Cialis pharmaceutical drugs over the Internet.
Viagra is a manufactured by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, and Cialis by Eli Lilly Company. Viagra and Cialis are considered lifestyle pharmaceutical drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Acting in an undercover capacity and communicating with Gonzales via email, agents discovered that Gonzales had secreted large quantities of loose counterfeit Viagra and Cialis pills in packages of general merchandise that had arrived in Houston from China. The packages had been sent to Mohammad Gawasmmah, an individual who operated “RU SOPHISTICATED,” a general merchandise store located on the 6800 block of Harwin Drive in Houston.
Gonzales told agents Gawasmmah and another individual named Fayez Aledous could deliver counterfeit pills. During a year-long investigation, ICE and FDA agents made several undercover purchases of counterfeit Cialis and Viagra pills. They seized more than 60,000 counterfeit Viagra pills and 15,000 counterfeit Cialis pills.
The loose counterfeit Viagra and Cialis tablets were packaged in plastic bags along with bottles and counterfeit labeling. Once the counterfeit pills arrived in Houston, the pills were placed in bottles and the counterfeit labeling was affixed to the bottles. The counterfeit drugs were valued at more than $776,000.
Gawasmmah and Aledous were indicted and have been convicted after pleading guilty to the conspiracy charge in 2007. They are presently serving prison sentences without parole of 20 months and 21 months, respectively.
LOS ANGELES—A Filipino man was sentenced for illegal distribution of counterfeit Viagra and Cialis sex performance-enhancing drugs over the Internet.
Randy Gonzales, 40, was sentenced in Houston TX last Friday, November 21, to 20 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for his role in a scheme to manufacture, import and distribute counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs in the United States.
This sentence was announced by acting U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson, Southern District of Texas, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent in Charge Robert Rutt.
Charged in June 2006, Gonzalez is the first foreign national to be extradited to the U.S. for conspiring to import and distribute counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Gonzales was extradited to the United States from Bangkok, Thailand, on March 26, 2008 and indicted four days later.
The investigation was conducted by special agents from ICE and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA).
Beginning in July 2005, agents discovered that Gonzales, using various email addresses, including: ac220875@hotmail.com and omarichina@hotmail.com, was advertising the sale of Viagra and Cialis pharmaceutical drugs over the Internet.
Viagra is a manufactured by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, and Cialis by Eli Lilly Company. Viagra and Cialis are considered lifestyle pharmaceutical drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Acting in an undercover capacity and communicating with Gonzales via email, agents discovered that Gonzales had secreted large quantities of loose counterfeit Viagra and Cialis pills in packages of general merchandise that had arrived in Houston from China. The packages had been sent to Mohammad Gawasmmah, an individual who operated “RU SOPHISTICATED,” a general merchandise store located on the 6800 block of Harwin Drive in Houston.
Gonzales told agents Gawasmmah and another individual named Fayez Aledous could deliver counterfeit pills. During a year-long investigation, ICE and FDA agents made several undercover purchases of counterfeit Cialis and Viagra pills. They seized more than 60,000 counterfeit Viagra pills and 15,000 counterfeit Cialis pills.
The loose counterfeit Viagra and Cialis tablets were packaged in plastic bags along with bottles and counterfeit labeling. Once the counterfeit pills arrived in Houston, the pills were placed in bottles and the counterfeit labeling was affixed to the bottles. The counterfeit drugs were valued at more than $776,000.
Gawasmmah and Aledous were indicted and have been convicted after pleading guilty to the conspiracy charge in 2007. They are presently serving prison sentences without parole of 20 months and 21 months, respectively.
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