5 October – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, David Bourne, Special Agent-in-Charge, Miami Field Office, United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), and Sergeant William Hernandez, Miami-Dade Police Department, Pharmaceutical Diversion Unit, announced today that defendant, Juan Francisco Marimon, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Patricia A. Seitz to twelve (12) months’ imprisonment for illegal wholesale distribution of prescription drugs and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Judge Seitz also imposed a two (2) year period of supervised release to follow Marimon’s imprisonment and ordered him to pay $7,460 in restitution to the Food and Drug Administration.
This case was the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Miami-Dade Police Department. According to the charges, Marimon was selling prescription medications without a wholesaler’s license, which is a requirement of both State and federal laws. Undercover officers observed Marimon on several occasions selling various medications illegally, including Oxycontin, which contains a schedule II controlled narcotic substance. These medications were originally prescribed to Medicare and Medicaid patients, who re-sold them on the street. Marimon obtained these medications from other street sellers, and he then attempted to re-sell them to the undercover agents. Such practice poses a serious health concern that the medications are expired, removed from their original containers and substituted, or otherwise made unsafe for the end consumer.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), and Miami-Dade Police Department, Pharmaceutical Diversion Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Patrick of the Economic and Environmental Crimes Section.
