A Lengthy Island TikToker was busted Wednesday for peddling Ozempic and different bacteria-tainted weight reduction medicine – leaving not less than one individual sick and affected by nasty lesions, federal prosecutors stated.
Isis Navarro Reyes, 36, allegedly obtained widespread weight reduction medicine from Central and South America — together with Ozempic, Mesofrance and Acxion — then hawked them on TikTok in dozens of movies from November 2022 by way of January 2024, based on the Manhattan US Lawyer’s Workplace.
The Shirley, New York lady bought the medicines, which weren’t authorised by the FDA on the market within the US, based on a felony criticism. Reyes – who goes by Beraly Navarro – didn’t have a license to promote medicine and didn’t ask for prescriptions from her patrons, the criticism says.
By way of her account, “beralyreyes88,” Reyes “showcases the burden loss medicine, instructs viewers how continuously they need to be used, describes how they need to be taken or injected and claims to explain her private experiences” utilizing them — outlining negative effects and the medicine’ effectiveness, based on the criticism.
In a video from Oct. 11, 2023, she demonstrated methods to inject Ozempic and claimed it had labored for her, the submitting alleges.
Within the movies, she posted her cellphone quantity and informed folks to succeed in out to her in the event that they wished to purchase the medicine, the criticism says.
However in a single case, a White Plains lady developed lesions after jabbing herself with 28 doses of Mesofrance she ordered from Reyes that had been tainted with a micro organism, the feds declare.
The sufferer referred to as Reyes in November 2022 after seeing certainly one of her TikTok movies and ultimately purchased 30 injections of Mesofrance, which Reyes mailed to her residence in February 2023, the courtroom paperwork say.
The girl allegedly dosed herself 28 instances from February 2023 till June that yr after receiving an audio message from Reyes telling her methods to give herself the treatment and instructing her to take it each three days.
However by July 13, 2023, the girl got here down with lesions which she took photos of and despatched to Reyes, telling her about her situation, the submitting claims.
In October that yr, a health care provider identified her with mycobacterium abscessus an infection from a micro organism — which is quick rising and immune to a number of medicine. The Division of Well being in November examined the Mesofrance Reyes bought to her — which examined optimistic for the mycobacteria, the submitting claims.
Reyes was caught earlier this yr when she bought Ozempic to an spy on Jan. 7 for $375, courtroom papers allege. The spy messaged her on her cellphone beginning in December 2023 and ultimately paid her the cash by way of Zelle earlier than she mailed a package deal to the agent, the criticism says.
She allegedly by no means requested the agent for a prescription and the agent by no means offered one to he.
In an interview with the feds on Feb. 15, 2024 Reyes admitted to promoting Ozempic she obtained from El Salvador 5 instances after promoting the medicine on TikTok. She additionally admitted to purchasing the Mesofrance on Fb and stated she stopped promoting it as a result of she knew it was unlawful, the criticism says.
“Reyes’s alleged illegal allotting of those medicine induced important, life-threatening accidents to some victims and put all of her victims in hurt’s means,” Manhattan US Lawyer Damian Williams stated in a press release, noting this was the primary case regarding the misbranding and adulteration of Ozempic.
She was slated to look in Manhattan federal courtroom Wednesday on fees of smuggling, receipt of misbranded medicine in interstate commerce, dispersing of misbranded drug whereas held on the market, conspiracy and associated crimes.
She faces as much as 25 years in jail if convicted on all six counts.
Reyes’ felony protection lawyer didn’t instantly return a request for remark Wednesday morning.
In April, TikTok stated it was cracking down on influencers pushing Ozempic, Wegovy and different widespread weight reduction medicine — and would change its coverage to cease permitting before-and-after images beginning this month.
A number of weight reduction medicine are seeing huge surges in recognition, with Ozempic producing round $13.9 billion final yr.
Supply hyperlink
