⏱ 2 min read
Matthew Kawa, 48, of Grant Park, Illinois, and his sister Jennifer Stechkober, 32, of Michigan City, Indiana, were sentenced to prison for selling unapproved drugs in interstate commerce. The siblings pleaded guilty to introducing unapproved new drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. Kawa also pleaded guilty to illegally importing merchandise into the United States. The crimes occurred over an unspecified period, but the sentencing took place recently.
The duo’s company, Paradigm Peptides, claimed to sell safe and pure products manufactured in the United States and approved by the FDA. However, these claims were false, and the products were actually imported from China, India, and other countries. The siblings fleeced an estimated 54,000 people out of over $5 million.
Kawa was sentenced to 70 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Stechkober received a 16-month prison sentence, also followed by one year of supervised release. Both defendants were ordered to pay $78,317.52 in restitution, and the court entered a money judgment against Kawa in the amount of $5 million.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The outcome aims to deter others from engaging in similar crimes, selling unregulated and untested products in interstate commerce.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: White Collar Crime
- Defendant: Indiana
- Location: IN
- Source: DOJ Press Release
