Illinois Man Sentenced For Trafficking Counterfeit Goods And Drugs Into The U.S.

HOUSTON - An Illinois man, who previously pleaded guilty to trafficking in counterfeit goods and introducing counterfeit drugs into interstate commerce in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, was sentenced today to serve 41 months in prison.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Brian Moskowitz of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.

Fayez Al-Jabri, 45, of Chicago, Ill., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy F. Atlas. In addition to his prison term, Al-Jabri will serve three years of supervised release and must pay $15,066.92 in restitution. On March 21, 2014, Al-Jabri pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, to introduce misbranded prescription drugs into interstate commerce and to import such goods contrary to U.S. law; one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods; and one count of introducing counterfeit drugs into interstate commerce in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Al-Jabri was indicted on Aug. 22, 2012, along with one other individual, Jamal Khattab, 49, of Katy, for their respective roles in the conspiracy. Khattab pleaded guilty on Dec. 3, 2013, to the same charges, and his sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 14, 2014. According to court documents, Al-Jabri conspired to traffic in more than 26,000 counterfeit Viagra tablets over the course of the conspiracy, including the shipping of thousands of counterfeit Viagra tablets from Chicago to an undercover agent in Houston from July 2011 through October 2012. HSI submitted all of the tablets seized during the investigation to both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Pfizer, Viagra’s manufacturer, for analysis. Both the FDA and Pfizer identified the tablets as counterfeit and misbranded Viagra.

This matter was investigated by HSI, the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service and police departments in Houston and Chicago. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kebharu Smith and Jennifer Lowery and Assistant Deputy Chief for Litigation John H. Zacharia of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.