2 men charged in alleged counterfeit Ozempic smuggling scheme, DOJ says
FILE - A photo illustration of a box containing an Ozempic injection pen on Oct. 20, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)
Two Indian nationals have been charged with smuggling counterfeit Ozempic into the United States, according to the Department of Justice.
Counterfeit Ozempic scheme
Dig deeper:
A federal grand jury in Florida charged Swapnadip Roy, 33, and Vicky Ramancha, 37, with conspiracy and smuggling.
The indictment alleged that Roy and Ramancha, and a third co-conspirator, sold counterfeit Ozempic to distributors in the U.S. at deeply discounted prices back in 2023.
Court documents revealed that the men obtained the fake Ozempic from unauthorized sources in China.
The drugs were then distributed by Roy, Ramancha and a third person in counterfeit packaging.
The packaging included inserts, pen labels and even needles in order to convince customers they were buying authentic Ozempic, according to the DOJ.
The charges
Roy and Ramancha have both been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit smuggling and to defraud the U.S., three counts of smuggling, and two counts of selling counterfeit drugs and holding counterfeit drugs for sale.
What's next:
If convicted, both men could face a maximum penalty of 71 years in prison.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from a Department of Justice news release published on Sept. 29, 2026. This story was reported from San Jose.