PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- An East Greenwich man arrested Wednesday has been accused of falsely marketing thousands of pills as an "all-natural dietary supplement for erectile dysfunction" and supplying them to a Providence distributor.
According to acting U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom, 74-year-old Jitender Behl imported hundreds of thousands of pills from India containing sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra.
Behl allegedly repackaged the pills under the brand name "JMY," short for "Just Me & You," and supplied them to Providence-based wholesale distributor Noor Inc. without disclosing the sildenafil content on the label.
Prosecutors said law enforcement seized more than 130,000 pills and tablets from Behl's home, along with more than 20,000 empty bags with labels reading "MALE ENHANCEMENT" and "72 Hours 100% Natural," as well as "MAXIMUM STRENGTH," "TIME," "ENDURANCE," and "STAMINA."
Court documents indicate the JMY label listed only herbal ingredients like white willow bark and Korean ginseng, but not sildenafil.
Behl was released on unsecured bond and is facing multiple charges, including receipt in interstate commerce of misbranded drugs and introducing misbranded drugs.
The owner of Noor Inc., 58-year-old Mahr Ahmed of Attleboro, was charged July 23 with introduction of misbranded drugs and has agreed to plead guilty, court documents show.
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