Kearney Man Gets 11 Months for Selling Cancer-Risk Drugs Online

Paul D. Martin, 46, of Kearney, Nebraska, was sentenced to 11 months in federal prison on October 17, 2016, for selling misbranded drugs containing undeclared ingredients linked to increased cancer risk. U.S. District Judge Laurie Smith Camp handed down the sentence after Martin admitted to distributing dangerous foreign products over the internet and through the U.S. mail, defying prior warnings from federal authorities.

Martin pled guilty to one count each of Delivery of Misbranded Drugs, Mail Fraud, and Wire Fraud. The case unfolded after FDA investigators discovered Martin continued shipping unapproved substances long after being notified that his actions violated federal law. The products, falsely marketed as dietary supplements, contained hidden pharmaceutical compounds that had not been evaluated for safety or efficacy.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, Deborah R. Gilg, confirmed the prosecution, emphasizing that Martin’s actions endangered public health by bypassing regulatory safeguards. His online operation allowed him to reach consumers nationwide, exploiting loopholes in e-commerce to distribute unregulated and potentially hazardous drugs directly to American homes.

“Selling purported dietary supplements that contain undeclared drug ingredients places the public’s health at risk,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Spencer E. Morrison of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations in Kansas City. “Our office will continue to target our resources to ensure that medicines for U.S. consumers are safe, effective, and properly labeled.”

Following his 11-month incarceration, Martin will serve a two-year term of supervised release, during which he will be monitored by federal probation officers. Authorities have not disclosed whether he profited financially from the scheme, but the scale of distribution via mail and internet platforms indicates a sustained criminal enterprise.

This case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration. It underscores a growing trend of rogue vendors exploiting digital channels to traffic in counterfeit and unapproved drugs—putting profits ahead of public safety. Federal crackdowns like this one signal a harder line against online health fraud.