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Grimy Times Exclusive
HOUSTON – Sanjay Kumar, a 45-year-old Indian national, has been ordered to federal prison for his role in selling tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of counterfeit oncology pharmaceuticals into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Kumar pleaded guilty Oct. 30, 2025, to conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered Kumar to serve 43 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by a one-year term of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, the court noted the cruel nature of Kumar’s conduct, commenting that he had intentionally marketed a drug that was intended for people who thought they were extending their lives, and instead, they received ‘junk.’
When questioned, Kumar admitted he knew the counterfeit drugs would not work to treat cancer, describing them as ‘just like water.’ The packaging was also counterfeit and closely resembled trademarks registered to Merck.
U.S. Attorney Ganjei stated, ‘When a patient takes a drug to treat a medical condition, they expect it to be legitimate, effective, and safe. When victims are instead sold worthless counterfeit medicine, it undermines not only their own health outcomes, but also public confidence in the American medical system as a whole.’
The investigation revealed that from August 2018 to June 2024, Kumar and others arranged the sale of counterfeit versions of the cancer drug Keytruda valued at tens of thousands of dollars. Keytruda is an FDA-approved immunotherapy used to treat melanoma and Hodgkin lymphoma as well as lung, head, neck, gastric, cervical and breast cancers.
Kumar and others received approximately $89,268 for the sales of the fake drug. Judge Rosenthal further ordered him to pay a $58,823 money judgment.
Kumar has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. ICE-HSI conducted the investigation with assistance from FDA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorneys Ethan Cantor, Bryce Rosenbower and Jeff Pearlman of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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