Florida woman accused of distributing unapproved new drugs

FLORIDA – A Florida woman has been indicted on charges related to an alleged scheme to distribute unapproved new drugs and money laundering, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO) has announced.

According to the USAO, Marina Sievert, 57, of Dunedin, has been charged with mail fraud, introduction into interstate commerce of an unapproved new drug, and monetary transactions in criminally derived property.

If convicted, the USAO said Sievert faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each mail fraud count (two counts), three years in federal prison for each count of introduction into interstate commerce of an unapproved new drug (two counts), and 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count (two counts).

The indictment also notifies Sievert that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of at least $1.5 million, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct, the USAO said.

According to the indictment, beginning in July 2019 and continuing through April 2022, Sievert owned and operated Beauty Forever Florida Inc. (“BFF”), a Florida corporation that she used to order, purchase, import, receive, and distribute unapproved and misbranded drugs and medical devices.

For instance, the USAO said Sievert distributed Innotox, Medytox, and Meditoxin, which reportedly contained botulinum toxin type A, a highly potent toxin that could cause the disease botulism. Sievert acquired these products from a Korean pharmaceutical company that did not have the required approvals of the Food and Drug Administration for distribution in the United States, the USAO said in its statement.

Sievert reportedly made fraudulent representations on her BFF website to her customers, such as false and misleading claims that BFF’s products were “FDA approved,” had “cleared customs,” and had “guaranteed authenticity,” the USAO said.

Sievert allegedly collected online orders from the BFF website and used the United States Postal Service and private and commercial interstate carriers to acquire the unapproved new drugs from foreign pharmaceutical retailers, the USAO said.

She then allegedly distributed the unapproved new drugs across the United States via the mail.

According to the USAO, in part, Sievert used the proceeds of her illegal scheme to make two monetary transactions, each in amounts greater than $10,000, for the purchase of a vehicle and for her own personal enrichment.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The United States Food and Drug Administration — Office of Criminal Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.