A Miami man has been arrested and is facing federal charges after authorities said he distributed more than $230 million in adulterated HIV drugs throughout the country.
Lazaro Hernandez, 51, is charged with conspiracy to deliver into interstate commerce adulterated and misbranded drugs, conspiracy to traffic in medical products with false documentation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and specific money laundering offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
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According to an indictment, Hernandez acquired large quantities of HIV medication illegally then created false drug labeling and other documentation to make it appear as if the drugs had been legally obtained.
Hernandez and others then established licensed wholesale drug distribution companies in Florida, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey in order to sell the drugs at steep discounts, the indictment said.
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The drugs ended up at pharmacies throughout the country and were dispensed to unsuspecting patients, the indictment said.
Between 2019 and 2021, distributors paid Hernandez and his co-conspirators more than $230 million for the drugs, which Hernandez allegedly laundered through several corporations in Miami, authorities said.
Hernandez was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of more than 100 years in prison.
