Maker of Erectile Dysfunction Products Sentenced To Nine Years In Prison For Misbranding And Selling Drugs As "All-natural" Herbal Supplements

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kamraz Rezapour, 53, formerly of Creston, N.C. was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for defrauding consumers of nearly $5 million by misbranding erectile dysfunction drugs and selling them as “all natural” herbal supplements, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney also sentenced Rezapour to three years of supervised release and ordered the defendant to pay a $15,000 fine and $44,100.52 in restitution.  The Court also ordered the forfeiture of the proceeds of Rezapour’s crimes, including over $1.5 million in seized funds, gold and silver coins, along with a condominium located in Tampa, Florida.

David W. Bourne, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, and Thomas L. Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), join Acting U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, beginning in 2009 through April 2013, Rezapour defrauded consumers of nearly $5 million, by falsely claiming that the erectile dysfunction products he sold were “100 % safe and natural.”  Court records show that Rezapour was the owner and operator of Nutrition for Health, Inc. and Mojo Risen, LLC., which sold dietary supplements, male enhancement drugs and erectile dysfunction drugs, including “Mojo Risen,” “Mojo Sensation” and “VajiVedic.”  Court documents indicate that Rezapour advertised Mojo Risen and the other erectile dysfunction pills as non-prescription, “all natural” herbal supplements, when, in fact, the products contained ingredients similar to prescription drugs such as Viagra, which require FDA approval to market and distribute.  Rezapour previously admitted that in order to induce consumers to purchase his Mojo Risen, Rezapour repeatedly claimed that the sexual enhancement products were “100% safe and natural” and without “harsh and dangerous side effects.”  Rezapour failed to list the prescription ingredients in the packaging and advertising material for the supplements he sold, including bearing the symbol “Rx only” on labels, a requirement for all prescription drugs, and did not include any warnings about the possible adverse side effects of his products.

According to court records, Rezapour received the ingredients from a supplier in China.  Court records indicate that the packages were falsely labeled as containing “paint products,” among other things, to evade detection by the U.S. Customs authorities and the FDA.  Rezapour ultimately distributed his products nationwide, including to customers located in Charlotte, and netted more than $4.9 million in payments for the mislabeled products.

Rezapour pleaded guilty in February 2014 to one count of wire fraud and two counts of drug misbranding, and has been detained since April 2013.  Rezapour will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.  All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.

The investigation into Rezapour was conducted by FDA-OCI and USPIS, with the assistance of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The prosecution is handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelli Ferry.

In June 2013, the FDA issued a warning against Mojo Risen, advising consumers not to purchase or to discontinue using this product immediately.  The FDA also advised consumers who have experienced any negative side effects as a result of using this product to consult a health care professional as soon as possible.  For more information please visit:

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusingmedicinesafely/medicationhealthfraud/ucm355904.htm