Chinese Citizen Sentenced in Texas for Selling Fake Drugs
A Chinese citizen in the US was recently sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison in Texas for selling counterfeit drugs.
United States Attorney José Angel Moreno recently announced that Kum Leung Chow, who was also known as Lawrence Chow, will be sent to federal prison for "conspiring to distribute counterfeit pharmaceuticals and trafficking in pharmaceuticals bearing false labeling and counterfeit trademarks," announced the Southern District of Texas's U.S. Attorney's Office.
Chow, who is reportedly a citizen of the People's Republic of China, allegedly obtained and distributed a number of different types of counterfeit erectile dysfunction in the United States using a Hong Kong based company called Kingdom International Enterprises Ltd.
The investigation into Chow began in January 2009 and discovered that Chow allegedly offered boxes ED drugs on two internet websites. Undercover law enforcement officials were able to buy nearly 1,500 tablets of various fraudulent ED medications from one of Chow's online pharmacies on two dates in March 2009 and April 2009, respectively. Shipping documents accompanying the drugs indicated they were exported from mainland China and Hong Kong.
The FDA Forensic Chemistry Center later tested the drugs and determined that the medications were counterfeit.
According to the release, "counterfeit pharmaceutical products could have caused harm to the public if not for the actions of law enforcement in monitoring the internet."
Chow was reportedly arrested on January 27 of this year and has remained in federal custody. He will remain in custody to serve out his sentence and then will be subject deportation, said the Department of Homeland Security in a press release.
Assistant United States Attorney Samuel Louis prosecuted the case against Chow, which was built by agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.