Pharmacy in earlier investigation alleged to be part of international smuggling network.

An Orlando pharmacy whose operators were snared nearly three years ago in an Albany County criminal probe has been implicated in an international network that federal authorities say smuggled human growth hormone from China to the United States, court records show.

The role of Florida's Signature Compounding Pharmacy in the distribution of human growth hormone is highlighted in a partially sealed federal criminal case in Rhode Island that was never announced by the Justice Department.


Signature's alleged role in the wider federal case comes as an appellate court in Albany is set to rule soon on whether state criminal charges against the pharmacy's operators should be reinstated here.

Signature pharmacy is identified in Effron's court papers by name and also as "pharmacy X." Two Florida physicians, Gary Brandwein and Claire Godfrey, who pleaded guilty to felony criminal charges in Albany related to prescriptions they wrote through Signature pharmacy, also are identified in Effron's criminal case.

The criminal charges against Effron detail his importing HGH from a Hong Kong company, GeneScience Pharmaceutical Co., whose founder, Lei Jin, was indicted on similar federal drug smuggling charges in Rhode Island two years ago. Jin pleaded not guilty and his case is pending.

"Pharmacy X was a licensed pharmacy located in Orlando, Florida," states an 18-page criminal information filed against Effron in June. "Pharmacy X contracted Effron to facilitate the smuggling of HGH from GPC in China to Florida."

Between 2004 and 2007 Effron, "acting on behalf of Pharmacy X," illegally imported more than $690,000 worth of HGH from China, court records show.

Effron and Lei Jin, who often used e-mails to discuss their importation of HGH, met at least three times in Orlando and China regarding their alleged conspiracy. "The owners of Pharmacy X were present during at least one of those meetings," prosecutors said in court filings.

Pharmacy X and Effron took steps to conceal the origin of the HGH that was being imported (from China) because they knew that HGH manufactured by GPC was not an approved drug, that it was on the FDA seizure list, and that, in any event, Effron was not a licensed wholesale drug distributor," prosecutors wrote in Effron's criminal information.

1 comment:

  1. Looks like Pharmacy X's days are numbered.

    ReplyDelete