U.S. Indicts USPlabs Over Dietary Supplements

“Unfortunately, many of these products are not what they purport to be or cannot do what the distributors claim they can do”.

The indictment says that USPlabs used a synthetic stimulant manufactured in China to make Jack3d and OxyElite Pro but told retailers that the supplements were made from plant extracts.

Charges are also being made that the defendants sold a few of their products without determining whether they would be safe to use and that the defendants knew of studies linking their products to liver toxicity.

“This deception put lives at risk”, he said. No companies or individuals were named in the media advisory.

“The Justice Department is saying, ‘enough is enough”. He was alluding to reports that “botanical” pills sold in stores are sometimes laced with unsafe pharmaceuticals and untested chemicals, and that supplements have been linked to at least 2,000 hospitalizations each year.

Dietary supplement researcher Pieter Cohen said the move should send a strong message to consumers and the industry. On November 17, additional warrants were served in MA and California, this time involving Vibrant Life, Optimum Health and others.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency also participated in the feds’ efforts to crack down on unlawful dietary supplements. Several of the company’s executives are also facing criminal charges. He stated that the agency just filed a claim against Sunrise Nutraceuticals “for its marketing of a concoction of vitamins, minerals and herbs purported to alleviate the awful physical and mental symptoms of opiate withdrawal”. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants falsified paperwork to stay off the radar of regulatory agencies – when the products crossed the border and as they circulated in commerce. To access more information available to service members, consult the OPSS website and a recently released video at http://hprc-online.org/blog/decoding-the-dietary-supplement-industry [external link]. “We work to educate athletes on the risks associated with choosing to use supplements, and we will continue to support further action at a national level to prevent risky substances and products from being allowed in the marketplace where they can easily be attained by unsuspecting athletes and other consumers”. “Not every label lies about what is contained in the bottle”.

In response Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., executive director and CEO of the Natural Products Association, stated, “We have long called on the government to prosecute illegal activity to the full extent of the law, and today’s action demonstrates the government’s vast power to regulate this industry”. According to the complaint, Bethel and its officers distributed adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements and unapproved new drugs throughout the United States.

USPlabs marketed and sold its products nationwide without first seeking FDA approval for ingredients found to have sickened and harmed consumers, according to a federal affidavit attached to the search warrants.