While it is more common to read about fines, consent decrees, and recalls, if you make unlawful claims and engage in other illegal activity you may be prosecuted criminally. Recently, two marketers of dietary supplements received prison sentences in addition to the 11.9 million dollar judgment that was levied against them, for making illegal claims that the products they sold could prevent, treat or cure various diseases. Tony Pham, who operated Techmedica Health Inc, and Charles Thao of Nutrapha Research LLC pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. Additionally, both men are accused of using computer technology to hide their illegal websites by using “mirror image technology” to cause alternative websites with “sanitized” claims to be displayed whenever they were visited by someone with an FDA ISP address. While clever, the only people they’ll be able to brag to now will be their fellow inmates. Pham will serve three years in prison without parole and Thao was sentenced to eight years and one month without parole.

For additional information on this story, click the link below: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/CriminalInvestigations/ucm234904.htm