Man sentenced to 24 months for selling $4.4 million in unapproved steroid-like drugs
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – A 52-year-old Nampa man was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for Introduction of Unapproved New Drugs in Interstate Commerce, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced.
According to court records, Michael Terry Little manufactured and sold Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) at a business in Nampa. There, he processed the bulk ingredients he imported from China—encapsulating, bottling, and preparing them for shipment. Little primarily sold SARMs products via a website under the name SARMTECH. Between March 2018 and January 2022, Little sold at least $4,499,197.46 of SARMs products.
SARMs are synthetic chemicals designed to mimic the effects of testosterone and other anabolic steroids. SARMs are “new drugs” under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Little knew the SARMs products were not FDA approved. To avoid government seizures of SARMs shipped to other countries, Little offered a stealth shipping option for an additional fee that intentionally mispackaged and falsely declared SARMs shipments as vitamins and supplements.
“I commend the investigators and prosecutor who exposed this illegal activity and brought the perpetrator to justice,” U.S. Attorney Hurwit said. “Law enforcement will continue to pursue those who put the public at risk by circumventing the law to sell unapproved drugs.”
“Drugs that are produced and distributed outside the FDA’s oversight present the risk of harm to the public health,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “We remain committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who attempt to subvert the regulatory functions of the FDA by distributing unapproved products.”
“This investigation illustrates the dangers of circumventing U.S. regulations with unapproved drugs and chemicals coming from China, where the safety of such chemicals can often not be confirmed,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI and our partners are committed to keeping all forms of unapproved products off our streets, especially those that risk public health and safety.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the cooperative efforts of the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darci Crane prosecuted the case.
