TAMPA, Fla. — Two people are accused of masterminding a scheme to sell counterfeit Ozempic to distributors in the United States, federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Swapnadip Roy, 33, and Vicky Ramancha, 37, both Indian nationals, were charged by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida. They were charged with conspiracy and smuggling related to an alleged transnational counterfeit prescription drug distribution scheme.
The charges include one count of conspiracy to commit smuggling and to defraud the United States, three counts of smuggling, and two counts of selling counterfeit drugs and holding counterfeit drugs for sale, prosecutors said.
If convicted, Roy and Ramancha each face a maximum penalty of 71 years in prison.
According to the indictment, Roy and Ramancha sold bogus versions of the medication used to help manage blood glucose levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes and is sometimes used as a way to lose weight.
The defendants are accused of selling the counterfeit drug at “deeply discounted prices” to distributors nationwide, WFLA reported.
Between July 2023 and April 2024, they allegedly smuggled and sold thousands of fake units after obtaining them from unauthorized manufacturers in China, according to CBS News. That bypassed the highly regulated U.S. market that is overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. '
The scheme also included counterfeit packaging, package inserts, pen labels and needles, prosecutors said. They were meant to deceive customers, who believed they were purchasing Ozempic.
included counterfeit packaging, package inserts, pen labels, and needles meant to deceive downstream customers into believing they were purchasing authentic Ozempic authorized by the manufacturer. The scheme continued even after the FDA seized some of the counterfeit Ozempic in December 2023 and issued a public warning.
Roy was extradited from Italy to the United States and made his initial appearance in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday, prosecutors said.
“Infiltrating the American drug supply with counterfeit products isn’t just a crime — it’s also a direct threat to public health and patient safety,” acting FDA Commissioner of Food and Drugs Kyle Diamantas said in a statement. “The FDA will continue to trace illicit networks wherever they lead, across borders and through complex supply chains, to ensure that anyone who seeks to profit off counterfeit medicines face accountability — all in our mission to keep Americans safe.”
“This indictment reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting Americans from potential harm from counterfeit prescription drugs,” Christopher Murray, the assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, said in a statement. “Our office will not tolerate bad actors corrupting our pharmaceutical supply chain.”
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