Related Federal Cases
- Michael R. Synychak, Illicit Vape Sales, Florida 2023 · New York
- Richard Alexander Murdaugh, Drug Trafficking, South Carolina 2023 · South Carolina
- Ayoub Alharbi and Sameer Mohamod-Hizan Yahia, Illicit Vape Shop Sales, California 2023 · New York
- Mark C. Simpson, Child Support Fraud and Drug Conspiracy, Atlanta G… · North Carolina
- Mark James Frederick Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography, B… · Oklahoma
Three North Carolina Men Charged for Operating a Website to Sell Illegal Drugs
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Rockingham man, Mark James Meland, was charged by Criminal Complaint in September 2023 for creating and operating the website MadisonJamesResearchChems.com, which illegally sold FDA-regulated drugs nationwide.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Mark James Meland used his website to sell a variety of products that contained well-known active pharmaceutical ingredients obtained from China and other overseas suppliers. He employed workers to mix the chemicals with cutting agents and then repackage the products into capsules, bottles, and vials to fulfill website orders.
Neither Mark James Meland, his co-conspirators, or his businesses were registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to engage in the manufacturing or processing of drugs, nor were they practitioners licensed by law to administer prescription drugs.
A search of Mark James Meland’s Copy Proz business and adjacent business suites in Rockingham resulted in the seizure of hundreds of bags of capsules, as well as dozens of bottles of liquids labeled as containing steroids and testosterone, both controlled substances. More than $150,000 in cash was seized along with numerous illegal firearms.
Mark James Meland died in February 2024, before the resolution of his criminal case. However, his plea deal was accepted by US Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr. earlier in the year.
Adam Meland, 45, previously pled guilty to the same charge for his involvement in the online drug sales and was sentenced on March 6, 2024, to 6 months’ probation for his role working for Mark James Meland and operating a spin-off website LP3Health.com. A. Meland pled guilty for his role in assisting Mark James Meland run the online website and is still awaiting sentencing, facing up to three years in prison.
Mark James Meland was charged with introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and money laundering, facing more than 20 years in prison.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News