New York Woman Sentenced to Three Years for Selling Meth-Laced Counterfeit Diet Pills via eBay

BILLINGS – A New York woman identified as Taylor was sentenced on April 5, 2024, to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for selling counterfeit diet pills adulterated with methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Scott Twito announced.

Court documents revealed that Taylor sold diet pills falsely marketed as legitimate supplements through her eBay account. The pills, branded under names such as “Skald Oxydynamic Fat Scorcher,” “PhenQ Ultra,” and “PhenGold,” were found to contain methamphetamine upon laboratory testing.

The investigation began after a Billings resident submitted an online tip on September 5, 2023. The man reported ordering “Skald” diet pills via eBay in February 2023 and starting to consume them in May. Following a failed workplace drug test in June, suspicion arose regarding the pills’ contents. Law enforcement collected remaining pills from the man, which tested positive for methamphetamine.

Further inquiries uncovered that Taylor mailed six bottles of “Skald Oxydynamic Fat Scorcher” to a Montana woman in March 2023. The recipient used the pills for several months without experiencing weight loss and eventually surrendered the remaining pills to authorities. Testing confirmed the presence of methamphetamine in all samples.

On April 3, 2024, an undercover agent purchased two types of diet pills, “PhenQ Ultra” and “PhenGold,” from Taylor’s eBay account. Both shipments, sent to Billings, tested positive for methamphetamine. In contrast, investigators obtained samples of the same products directly from the manufacturers, which tested negative for methamphetamine.

Additional evidence showed Taylor shipped illicit diet pills to a woman in Randolph, Wisconsin, which also tested positive for methamphetamine. In total, law enforcement collected pills from five separate shipments between 2023 and 2024, all containing methamphetamine.

Taylor’s fraudulent operation involved mislabeling and falsely claiming the pills were manufactured by legitimate supplement companies. Several customers alerted Taylor that the pills were counterfeit, and at least one manufacturer issued a cease-and-desist letter regarding the unauthorized use of its product names.

The consequences of Taylor’s scheme were severe. A U.S. Army service member who consumed the pills tested positive for methamphetamine during a random urinalysis, incurring significant legal expenses to defend against drug abuse allegations. Another individual lost employment after a workplace drug test detected methamphetamine.

Throughout the duration of the scheme, Taylor sold approximately 1,517 bottles of counterfeit diet pills, generating roughly $56,454 in illicit profits.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, with the FBI conducting the investigation.

In related news, a Wyola man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sending inappropriate communications to a minor, and a Browning man received a five-year sentence for domestic violence offenses. Scott Twito, recently sworn in as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, continues to oversee these prosecutions.

Official reference: View the original document.