Related Federal Cases
Canadian Citizen Faces Prison Time for Online Prescription Drug Scam
Andrew Strempler, a Canadian citizen, has pleaded guilty to his role in a scheme to defraud consumers purchasing pharmaceuticals online, the Justice Department announced.
Strempler, the owner and president of Mediplan Health Consulting Inc., a Canadian company that also operated under the name RxNorth.com, faces up to five years in prison, a forfeiture of $300,000, a fine and restitution.
According to court documents, Strempler and his co-conspirators unlawfully enriched themselves by selling prescription drugs to individuals in the United States, falsely representing that RxNorth was selling safe prescription drugs in compliance with regulations in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The scheme was uncovered in 2001 after the FDA sent a letter to Strempler advising him that his prescription drug sales would be illegal in the United States if the drugs were not FDA approved.
Strempler obtained the prescription drugs from various other source countries without properly ensuring the safety or authenticity of the drugs. In fact, the information alleges that some of the drugs sold by Strempler included counterfeit drugs.
Strempler caused prescription drugs from foreign countries to be shipped to a facility that he operated in the Bahamas. Prescription orders made through RxNorth were then filled at the Bahamas facility, with labels on the vials and drug cartons stating they had been filled by RxNorth in Canada.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery stated that today’s guilty plea represents an important step in the continued fight against counterfeit pharmaceuticals—particularly those trafficked over the Internet. U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer added that Strempler and his co-conspirators sold prescription drugs to customers in the United States falsely representing that the drugs were in compliance with regulations in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and Roger J. Gural of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch. U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez presided over the change of plea hearing.
RELATED: River Run: Smuggler Faces Years in Prison
RELATED: Canadian Citizen Accused of Decades of Illegal Voting
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News