Partner in Mumbai-Based Prescription Drug Company Sentenced for $3.5 Million Drug Smuggling Conspiracy

BOSTON – A partner in a Mumbai-based prescription drug company was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for operating an overseas pharmacy that sold unapproved prescription drugs and controlled substances, including opioids, and shipped them from Asia into the United States.

Manish Kumar, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 87 months in prison and three months of supervised release. Manish was also ordered to pay a fine of $100,000. In October 2022, Kumar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to import misbranded prescription drugs and controlled substances; conspiracy to distribute Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances; and one count of making false statements to federal officers.

Kumar was a partner in Mihu Business Solutions Pvt., Ltd., a Mumbai-based drug company which he operated through multiple entities, including “All Herb Distributors,” “365 Life Group,” and “Health Life 365 Co.” From at least 2015 until 2019, when Kumar was arrested on unrelated charges, Kumar used these entities to ship millions of illegal and unapproved prescription pills into the United States to individuals who did not have prescriptions. Specifically, Kumar trafficked prescription drugs including generic erectile dysfunction drugs, and Schedule II controlled substances, such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and tapentadol, and Schedule IV controlled substances, such as tramadol. 

Kumar’s operation directly marketed drugs to customers in the United States through advertising and calls to prospective customers from call centers in India. As part of the 
conspiracy, Kumar personally directed and managed shipments of drugs from drug suppliers in Singapore and India into Massachusetts and other states. In total, Kumar’s drug business generated more than $3.5 million in revenue and shipped millions of illegal and unapproved pills into the United States to individuals who did not have prescriptions. After his arrest, Kumar made false statements to law enforcement in February 2020 about his involvement in the sale of controlled substances.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial, & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.