Westbrook Woman Pleads Guilty to Adulterating a Dietary Supplement

Contact: James W. Chapman, Jr.
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Kathy Jordan, age 61, of Westbrook, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to adulterating a food item, namely a bottle of fish oil capsules, with intent to defraud.

According to court documents, on April 3, 2012, Jordan purchased a bottle of fish oil capsules, face cream and shampoo from a retail pharmacy store near her home.  She returned all three items the following day for a full refund.  One week later, the bottle of fish oil capsules was resold to another customer.  That customer discovered that the bottle contained other items in addition to fish oil, and returned the bottle to the pharmacy.  The pharmacy determined that some of the fish oil capsules had been removed and replaced with stool softener capsules and Dilantin, a prescription anti-seizure medication.  Jordan told investigators that she returned the bottle of fish oil capsules after substituting some of the fish oil with other drugs in her home so that she could get a full refund.

Jordan faces up to three years in jail and a $250,000 fine.  She will be sentenced after completion of a pre-sentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Inspector General.