Friday, August 29, 2008

“Male Enhancement” Dietary Supplement Distributor Sentenced to 25 Years for Fraud

The Food Law Blog reports that "a federal court has sentenced Steven Warshak, founder of Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, to 25 years in prison for crimes including mail fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, and money laundering. In addition, Warshak and other defendants must forfeit money and assets in excess of $500 million. Berkeley reportedly made hefty profits from the sale of Enzyte, a dietary supplement, which was claimed to promote 'natural male enhancement.'"

The sentencing is based on an array of unlawful business practices, including unsubstantiated claims but also the placement of unauthorized charges on customers' credit cards.

The AP story is available here.