An Overland Park, KS, man has been sentenced for selling erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs under the name of herbal supplements.
Rick Shepard, 60, was stocking the shelves of adult stores with herbal supplements that were actually tainted with prescription ED drugs such as Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil).
Shepard pleaded guilty and got five years probation.
His business seemed to be profitable because a forfeiture order of more than $1.6 million was issued from the scheme that operated from 2013 to 2018.
According to court documents, Shepard has his production line in the basement of his home in Overland Park, where he would distribute the prescription ED drugs into three- and 12-pack bottles or blister packs, adding his herbal remedy label.
Shepard called his company, “Epic Products” and called the supplements “Euphoric.” He ordered wholesale shipments from China, according to the court documents.
Sildenafil and tadalafil and Sildenafil are prescription-only drugs that are recommended for the treatment of ED, a male sexual disorder characterized by chronic poor erections that are not hard or strong enough for sexual activity.
Shepard used to package these ED drugs as “all-natural herbal supplements for male enhancement” and sell them to adult novelty stores in Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado.
Selling prescription drugs without a prescription is a serious issue because they can have dangerous interactions with other drugs, such as nitrates (used for chest pain) and alpha-blockers (antihypertensive agents), which is why sildenafil and tadalafil are to be used under the supervision of a doctor.
The US Attorney’s Office has said that fortunately, they are not aware of anyone having any kind of adverse reactions so far.
The office said the judge decided not to give him any prison time, considering no reports of side effects, Shepard’s eventual admission of guilt and lack of criminal record. The article originally appeared on KCTV5.
