Atlanta Man Peddled Fake Viagra, Lied to Become Citizen

ATLANTA – Ismail Ali Khan, 29, of Decatur, Georgia, is facing serious time after a six-day jury trial found him guilty of conspiracy, illegal importation of misbranded drug products from China, receiving misbranded drugs that moved in interstate commerce, and lying through his teeth to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. The verdict, delivered Monday, February 13, 2017, exposes a brazen scheme to peddle potentially dangerous fake medications and exploit the system.

U.S. Attorney John Horn didn’t mince words: “Khan led a conspiracy that caused misbranded drugs to be illegally imported and distributed in the Atlanta area and throughout the southeastern United States.” The feds say Khan’s operation put consumers at risk by failing to warn them about the dangers lurking in these unregulated pills. Justin Green, Special Agent in Charge of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Miami Field Office, added, “Distributing unapproved and misbranded drugs disguised as all-natural supplements places the U.S. public health at risk.”

The scheme, dating back to early 2011, revolved around importing male enhancement products from China under misleading names like “Maxman,” “Herb Viagra,” “Rock Hard Weekend,” and “African Black Ant.” These weren’t herbal remedies, folks. They contained sildenafil – the active ingredient in Viagra – and/or tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis. Both require a doctor’s prescription, but Khan and his brother, Ahmed Ali Khan, bypassed that little detail entirely. The products were falsely labeled as “all-natural” and “herbal,” masking the presence of powerful pharmaceuticals and omitting crucial health warnings.

To avoid detection, the Khans used a network of deception. They instructed Chinese shippers to falsely declare the contents of packages as “tea,” “coffee,” and “beauty products” on customs forms. They rented multiple mailing addresses under false business names in the Atlanta area, using aliases and fake identities to receive the shipments. Once the drugs arrived, they were moved to storage units where the operation prepared wholesale orders. It was a calculated effort to fly under the radar of law enforcement.

But the lies didn’t stop there. In August 2013, while the drug scheme was still active, Ismail Ali Khan applied for U.S. citizenship. He swore he had never committed a crime for which he hadn’t been arrested – a blatant falsehood. He repeated the lie during interviews with Citizenship and Naturalization Services in January and March of 2014, just before taking the oath. Based on these fabricated statements, he became a naturalized citizen on March 14, 2014. Now, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones will revoke that citizenship at sentencing.

Khan has been locked up since his arrest on May 29, 2014, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Jones. This case, investigated by the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service, serves as a harsh reminder that cutting corners on public health and attempting to deceive the government carries severe consequences. The Grimy Times will be present for the sentencing.