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Former Business Partners Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud FDA
Two former California business partners have been sentenced to one-year of probation and ordered to forfeit $130,000 for conspiring to defraud the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Virginia.
Spencer Gill, 31, of Rancho Palos Verdes, and Anthony Novak, 46, of Anaheim, operated multiple websites selling drugs and other products to the bodybuilding community between March 2013 and April 2018. The pair conspired to defraud the FDA by marketing and selling unapproved drugs, some of which contained ingredients not approved for human use.
‘Manufacturers and distributors of nutritional supplements must ensure that their products do not contain FDA-restricted substances, and they must accurately label those products,’ said U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen. ‘We will continue to work closely with the FDA to investigate and prosecute individuals and entities who unlawfully market and dispense products that are essentially prescription drugs.’
Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office, added, ‘U.S. consumers should be able to trust that the dietary supplements they buy do not contain dangerous drug ingredients. When criminals disguise potent drugs as dietary supplements, they place consumers at risk.’
Gill and Novak admitted to marketing and selling the drugs to customers who intended to, and did, consume the drugs. They claimed the drugs were for ‘research purposes only’ to avoid regulatory oversight by the FDA.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Food and Drug Administration, with Assistant United States Attorney Jeb Terrien prosecuting the case for the United States.
Gill and Novak each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Food and Drug Administration.
The sentencing of Gill and Novak serves as a warning to those who would seek to circumvent FDA regulations and sell unapproved drugs to unsuspecting consumers.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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