Three Utah Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Online Pharmacy

Three men from Utah were recently sentenced to federal prison for their illegal online pharmacy operation.

Noah Sifuentes, of Orem, Utah, and Timothy Shields and Kenneth E. Forrest, of Provo, Utah, had all previously pleaded guilty to an illegal online pharmacy business that sent prescription drugs from Mexico across the country, according to the Daily Herald.

A news release from the U.S. Department of Justice said that the online pharmacy distributed more than 11 million pills between 2001 and 2008. Some of the drugs were issued to people who did not have a prescription or were not evaluated by a professional.

Earlier this year Sifuentes had pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute phentermine, a weight loss medication, and conspiracy to commit international money laundering and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for his crimes.

In May both Shields and Forrest pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The former will serve 24 months in prison and the latter will spend 36 months behind bars.

Americans can be sure they are dealing with a reputable online pharmacy if it is certified by the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites, or VIPPS, program. They can use legitscript.com to verify their pharmacy’s legitmacy.