SAN ANTONIO – A New Braunfels man was sentenced to five years in prison for selling non-controlled, misbranded drugs through the mail.
According to court documents, Evan Asher Field, 42, purchased bulk amounts of several drugs, including synthetic opioids and benzodiazepines, and resold them through a website he created in 2019.
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Most of the drugs originated in China and were not regulated or approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They could have potentially caused toxic and fatal overdoses if consumed.
A co-defendant, Michael Dominic Diaz, 31, assisted Field in the operation.
The pair repacked the drugs into consumer-size containers and shipped them to various locations in the United States, court documents show.
The website Field created was active until September 2021, when Diaz launched a second website offering a nearly identical service.
The website displayed several disclaimers warning against human consumption, and the drugs were “for research purposes only.” The two defendants were aware that customers were purchasing and consuming the drugs for personal use.
Multiple consumers suffered overdoses, including some which were fatal.
Alongside his imprisonment, Field was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine.
“The defendants in this case recklessly endangered the lives and well-being of the numerous individuals who purchased unregulated substances from them,” said Jaime Esparza, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas. “We hope that this sentence brings attention [to] this type of conduct and serves as a warning to those who would engage in it.”
Diaz is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21.
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