Rochester Man Sentenced for Smuggling Counterfeit Cialis and Viagra into the United States

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Western District of New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 3, 2019

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Samuel McFarland, 55, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of two counts of smuggling goods into the United States, was sentenced to serve 24 months’ probation by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who handled the case, stated that on April 10, 2017, Customs and Border Protection officers at the John F. Kennedy International Airport intercepted a package coming from Hong Kong that was addressed to the defendant. The package contained 3,012 counterfeit Viagra pills and 190 counterfeit Cialis pills.

On January 8, 2018, CBP officers at the Rochester International Airport intercepted a package coming from China that was also addressed to McFarland’s residence. That package contained 100 bottles which included 30 counterfeit Cialis pills in each. The manifest for the package of 3000 counterfeit pills falsely listed the contents as “free trade sample” and claimed the package contained 50 plastic bottles valued at $1.00 each. Thereafter, on January 25, 2018, Homeland Security Investigations conducted a controlled delivery at the defendant’s residence of the package intercepted on January 8, 2018. McFarland answered the door and signed for the package. Federal agents then approached the house and executed a federal search warrant.

The defendant admitted to agents that he ordered both the April 2017 package and the January 2018 package, knowing that they contained counterfeit pills. An analysis of McFarland’s cellular phone revealed several searches for “fake Viagra,” related searches for pictures of real and counterfeit Viagra pills, searches for terms such as “package us customs detainment,” and photos that were cached from websites including “how to get Viagra for $1.”

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy; and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey Ebersole, New York Field Office.

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Component(s):
USAO - New York, Western