Oregon Man Sentenced for Selling DNP-Infused Weight-Loss Capsules

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced Jonathan E. McGraw, 33, of Newberg, Oregon, to a year in prison for manufacturing and selling weight-loss capsules laced with the dangerous additive 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP).

Mcgraw, who operated under the guise of ScorpionDNP.com, sourced DNP from Chinese suppliers and used it as the key ingredient in his homemade capsules. He marketed these products to unsuspecting customers across the United States through online platforms like reddit.com.

In a desperate attempt to evade authorities, McGraw falsely labeled his product as pesticide. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has never approved DNP for human consumption in the U.S., making it an illegal substance.

Mcgraw admitted in a plea agreement that he was aware of the life-threatening risks posed by the use of DNP to his customers. Despite this knowledge, he continued to distribute the capsules.

The defendant pleaded guilty earlier this year to introducing a new drug into interstate commerce without approval. U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee imposed a sentence of one year and one day in federal prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick D. Young emphasized the severity of McGraw’s actions during sentencing, stating, ‘Defendant was willing to subject hundreds of people to a risk of death in order to make money for himself.’ The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Lynda M. Burdelik, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.

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