BOISE, Idaho — A 52-year-old Nampa man was sentenced to two years in federal prison for selling unapproved drugs in interstate commerce, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced Monday.
Michael Terry Little was manufacturing and selling Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) at a business in Nampa, according to the news release. It was there that he processed bulk ingredients he imported from China, then he encapsulated, bottled, and prepared them for shipment.
Officials said Little primarily sold SARMs products via a website under the name SARMTECH. The news release goes on to say that between March 2018 and January 2022, Little sold at lease $4.5 million in SARMs products.
SARMs are synthetic chemicals designed to mimic the effects of testosterone and other anabolic steroids, and are considered "new drugs" under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
Little was aware that the SARMs products were not FDA approved, the news release said, and to avoid government intervention while shipping to other countries, Little would offer stealth shipping options for an additional fee. He would also intentionally mispackage and falsely declare SARMs shipments as vitamins and supplements.
"I commend the investigators and prosecutor who exposed this illegal activity and brought the perpetrator to justice," Hurwit said. "Law enforcement will continue to pursue those who put the public at risk by circumventing the law to sell unapproved drugs."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darci Crane prosecuted the case, sentencing Little to 24 months in federal prison.
"Drugs that are produced and distributed outside the FDA's oversight present the risk of harm to the public health," said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. "We remain committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who attempt to subvert the regulatory functions of the FDA by distributing unapproved products."
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