Overland Park man sold Chinese erectile dysfunction drugs as ‘all-natural’: indictment
A 59-year-old Overland Park man has been indicted for allegedly importing and selling erectile dysfunction drugs from China that were wrongly marketed as “all-natural,” according to federal prosecutors.
Richard Shepard, who was indicted in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., faces one count each of conspiracy and introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.
Shepard allegedly sold the pills wholesale as “all-natural, herbal supplements for male enhancement” under the name “Euphoric” to adult novelty stores in multiple states.
The indictment alleges that the label on the products failed to reveal that the supplements contained some of the same ingredients found in the drugs Viagra and Cialis.
The FDA has determined those drugs are safe to use only under the care of a licensed health care provider because of the possibility of toxicity, life-threatening drops in blood pressure and painful erections that could result in permanent injury, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The indictment alleges that Shepard purchased the drugs from China and had them delivered to shipping and mailing stores across the country and then forwarded to him in Kansas. The packages were labeled as “healthy food samples.”
If convicted, Shepard faces up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the conspiracy charge and up to 3 years and a fine up to $25,000 on the misbranding charge.
This story was originally published March 13, 2019 at 3:58 PM.
