Federal prosecutor says Beauty Pharmacy owner sold counterfeit Juvederm

Contributed By:The 411 News

Dina Al-Sbeihi, 36, of Merrillville, Indiana, was charged by way of an Indictment with three counts of mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

According to documents in the case, it is alleged that between July 2015 and August 2019, Al-Sbeihi engaged in a scheme to defraud consumers by selling counterfeit medical devices, namely counterfeit Juvederm and Restalyne.

Both are popular injectable fillers used in the cosmetics industry to improve facial appearances, like plumping up sagging cheeks or diminishing facial lines. Juvederm and Restalyne are prescription dermal fillers and are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Indictment alleges that Al-Sbeihi imported counterfeit Juvederm and Restalyne products from foreign manufacturers located in the People’s Republic of China and elsewhere. The counterfeit products were packaged and branded to look like authentic Juvederm and Restalyne products. These foreign-made dermal fillers had not been approved by the FDA and, as a result, the safety and efficacy of the products were unknown.

According to the Indictment, Al-Sbeihi sold these counterfeit products through her retail company The Beauty Pharmacy falsely representing them to be genuine. Al-Sbeihi used the U.S. Mails to ship the counterfeit products to her customers. It is alleged that Al-Sbeihi earned more than $260,000 from consumers by selling counterfeit Juvederm and Restalyne products to customers in the United States.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.

“The importing of counterfeit medical devices and selling them as legitimate creates a great concern for the public purchasing these counterfeit products,” said U.S. Attorney Kirsch. “Consumers have a right not to be misled in the manner alleged in this case. I want to thank the law enforcement agencies that investigated this case.”

Story Posted:06/22/2020