A man and three women in Puerto Rico face forfeiture of nearly $4m plus six properties and up to 30 years in prison if convicted of charges linked to selling products marketed as dietary supplements but spiked with undisclosed erectile enhancement drugs. The Department of Justice on March 8 said a federal grand jury in San Juan returned a 28-count indictment charging the four with mail and wire fraud and conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit goods, introducing misbranded articles into interstate commerce, distributing a controlled substance, international money laundering and smuggling. DoJ said the defendants – Carlos Enrique Velázquez-Gines, Mayra Evelise Gines-Otero, Noriam Ivette Flores-Deleon and Vanessa Marrero-Hernández – sold online numerous "supplements” for male enhancement or weight loss using brands including "XXXplosion," "Power," "Hard Ten Days," "Plant Vigra" and "Natural Max Slimming Advanced." They allegedly began in 2013 purchasing from suppliers in China supplements, Kylie Cosmetics brand cosmetics and latex condoms that were counterfeit or misbranded under FDA regulations. They re-sold the products to customers and also distributed wholesale quantities. DoJ said convictions on the charges could bring maximum prison sentences of 30 years for the conspiracy charges, 10 for trafficking counterfeit goods and three for introducing and receiving misbranded products in interstate commerce in addition to forfeiture of $3.7m, six homes and other properties, two bank accounts, one Pay Pal account and three certificates of deposit. Velázquez-Gines also faces up to 20 years in prison for international money laundering and 20 years for smuggling.
DoJ, through FDA investigations, has increased bringing criminal cases against suspects and businesses accused of marketing products labeled as supplements...
