Catherine Nix, Prescription Drug Smuggling, Texas 2015

A Texas woman has been sentenced to prison for her role in smuggling counterfeit prescription drugs from China into the United States.

Catherine Nix, 42, of Athens, Texas, pleaded guilty in April 2015 to one count of conspiracy to smuggle the drugs into the country. Nix was sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.

The smuggling operation, which was led by Nix and her co-conspirators, resulted in the introduction of more than 100,000 counterfeit pills into the stream of commerce. The pills, which were seized by authorities, were found to be bogus versions of several FDA-approved drugs, including Xanax, Valium, Cialis, Viagra, and Ambien.

The defendants used shipping labels that concealed the contents of their shipments and customs declarations that falsely described the contents as ‘gifts’ or ‘toys.’ They also used multiple addresses in an effort to reduce the likelihood of seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities.

‘Consumers of prescription drugs need to know that what they are buying is legitimate, safe, and approved,’ said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. ‘This illegal operation introduced more than 100,000 bogus pills into the stream of commerce, potentially posing a huge public health and safety risk.’

The case was investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and by Trial Attorney John W.M. Claud of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch.

Nix’s co-conspirators, Tom Giddens, 59, and Wanda Hollis, 64, were also sentenced to 15 months in prison in October 2015.

This case highlights the dangers of counterfeit prescription drugs and the importance of ensuring that the medications we take are safe and effective.

Related Federal Cases