Detroit Man Arrested a Second Time for Counterfeit Drug Sales
Federal authorities arrested a Detroit resident on May 26, 2011, for running a counterfeit medicine ring.
Gene Hardwick, 49, allegedly bought hundreds of fake erectile dysfunction pills online for 50 cents apiece and then sold them locally for $3- $4 each, netting roughly $800 a month, reports the Detroit Free Press.
Federal authorities were alerted to his business in January 2010, when a shipment addressed to him was discovered in a Chicago mail facility, labeled a “gift bag” worth $16.
In the package were 901 fake blue pills, shaped and labeled as if they were produced by a legitimate pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Hardwick admitted to federal agents that he “thought the pills were generic,” despite the clear brand markings, and had purchased pills form various Chinese websites in the past year. Authorities found 40 boxes of fake medicine in his home and car.
He was released on bond on March 17th, with the condition that he refrain from further sales. However, two days later, federal agents searched a home listed in Hardwick’s name and found more fake drugs, along with new orders for more pills.