Bradenton Man Pleads Guilty To Selling Counterfeit, Unapproved, And Misbranded Drugs

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Robert Lohr (72, Bradenton) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, from July 2009 through September 25, 2015, Lohr operated a business in Bradenton known as “Canadian American Drug Club” or “American Drug Club of Bradenton.” The business sold and distributed illegally smuggled prescription drugs, including Viagra, Cialis, Achiphex, and Lipitor, as well as other drug products that were falsely represented as “herbal”, but that contained active prescription ingredients. At no time was Lohr ever licensed as a pharmacist, a drug importer, or drug wholesaler. Neither was American Drug Club a licensed pharmacy or licensed drug importer or wholesaler. 

Between March 21, 2014, and September 15, 2015, several undercover purchases of misbranded, unapproved, and counterfeit prescription drugs were made from Lohr’s business. Prescriptions for Viagra and Cialis were filled and mailed from the business, along with counterfeit drugs made in China. Other prescription drugs, such as Achiphex and Lipitor, were filled by foreign pharmacies with foreign drugs, which had not been approved for the U.S. market. Lohr also sold several herbal Viagra products, without prescriptions, that had been illegally smuggled from China.  These products, with names such as “Maxmen”, “Superhard”, or “Vigour,” contained Sildendafil Citrate, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Viagra. Several of the packages addressed to Lohr’s business, containing the counterfeit drugs, were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

Lohr generated more than $1.1 million in sales from these counterfeit drugs. The proceeds were deposited in the form of cash, third-party customer checks, and bank card transactions into business and personal bank accounts controlled by Lohr and others. The proceeds from the sales were seized and forfeited in September 2015, including $765,909.35 from an investment account, $60,722 from a business bank account, as well as $79,700 in cash that was stored in Lohr’s safe deposit box. Another $20,135 in cash was seized from Lohr’s business. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigaitons and the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), which is responsible for protecting the health and safety of the American public, and ensuring that drugs intended for human use bear true and accurate information and are safe and effective for their intended uses. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen and Holly Gershow.