Drug safety
Two people charged in alleged counterfeit Ozempic distribution scheme
Two defendants face federal conspiracy and smuggling charges over an alleged scheme to sell counterfeit Ozempic to U.S. distributors.
Federal prosecutors in Florida and the Justice Department have charged Swapnadip Roy, 33, and Vicky Ramancha, 37, with conspiracy and smuggling in an alleged counterfeit Ozempic distribution scheme. The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations assisted with the investigation, the agency said.
According to court documents, between July 2023 and April 2024, the pair allegedly obtained counterfeit Ozempic from unauthorized suppliers in China. The products allegedly had counterfeit packaging, inserts, pen labels and needles meant to make pharmacies and patients believe they were authentic. Roy, Ramancha and co-conspirators allegedly sold them to U.S. distributors at deeply discounted prices. The indictment alleges they continued distributing the products after the FDA seized counterfeit Ozempic and issued a public warning in December 2023. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
