California Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Unapproved Drugs, Defrauding FDA

Jeremy Brown, 55, of Simi Valley, California, pleaded guilty to selling unapproved prescription drugs, including SARMs.Photo byMichał ParzuchowskionUnsplash

Jeremy Brown, 55, of Simi Valley, California, pleaded guilty today to introducing unapproved new drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont announced.

According to court documents, between March 2019 and December 2023, Brown operated a company called Warrior Labz SARMs and associated websites through which he sold unapproved versions of prescription drugs and other substances.

Brown marketed and sold Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs)—substances similar to anabolic steroids—unapproved versions of erectile dysfunction drugs Viagra and Cialis, and unapproved weight-loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus.

Court records indicate that Brown falsely claimed on his websites that the drugs were for "research purposes only" and "not for human consumption." However, he simultaneously advertised their benefits affecting the structure and function of the human body.

Brown obtained the bulk of these drugs from China without verifying shipping or storage conditions, nor did he conduct laboratory tests to confirm their contents, according to the documents.

Despite this, he falsely asserted on his websites that his company used only the highest quality pharmaceutical-grade ingredients and U.S. manufacturing practices.

After receiving a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2023, Brown continued to sell unapproved drugs online, court documents show, according to FDA officials.

“Drugs that are produced and distributed outside the FDA’s oversight present the risk of harm to the public health,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office, in a statement.

“We remain committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who attempt to subvert the regulatory functions of the FDA by distributing unapproved, and potentially dangerous, products.”