Ohio Resident Charged With Selling Dietary Supplements Laced with Pharmaceuticals

Photo courtesy of the FDA

Khaled Farouk Elgayar of North Olmstead, Ohio, has been charged in federal court with selling misbranded drugs, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reports.

Elgayar purchased in bulk a variety of supposedly herbal supplements with names such as “African Superman,” “Hard Ten Days,” “Herb Viagra,” “libigrow,” “S.W.A.G” and “Triple PowerZEN,” for resale in the United States, according to the DOJ.

Although he advertised the supplements as made of all natural herbal ingredients, they in fact contained the prescription medication sildenafil.  The DOJ notes that sildenafil “may have serious potential side effects or may be harmful to consumers with certain pathological conditions. Additionally, undeclared drugs may interact dangerously with other prescription or non-prescription drugs the unwitting consumer might be taking.”

The product labels for these supplements in no way indicated that they contained prescription medication. Elgayar received the mislabeled supplement between January and October 2016, the DOJ reports.

Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office remarked “Disguising prescription drugs as harmless over-the-counter products can lead to serious consequences for unsuspecting buyers with dangerous underlying health conditions. It could also lead to dangerous interactions when combined with other drugs they may be taking. Our office will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who would endanger the public’s health in order to make a quick profit.”

The Food and Drug Administration has conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan R. Miller and Michael L. Collyer are prosecuting the case.