A 37-year-old California man was handed down a 41-month prison sentence on February 19, 2021, for his role in a supplement misbranding scheme. Sitesh Patel, former Vice President of S.K. Laboratories pleaded guilty for his role in importing food with “misleading labels” into interstate commerce, according to the Department of Justice press release.

Patel participated in the development of two popular dietary supplements ‘OxyElite Pro’ and ‘Jack3d’. Patel partnered with USPlabs to develop and manufacture the supplements.

Patel partnered with four others to illegally import misbranded substances, which would later become part of a federal probe involving the weight loss supplement ‘OxyElite Pro.’ The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled the supplement in 2013 after allegations surfaced that it was connected to liver damage.

A 2015 grand jury indictment against Patel and co-defendants linked to USPlabs claimed the misbranded products were sold without safety testing.

Co-defendant 41-year-old Jonathan Doyle, 44-year-old Jacob Geissler, 40-year-old Cyril Willson, and 42-year-old Matthew Hebert, co-owner of USPlabs, were previously sentenced in the case. The court also ordered USPlabs to $4.7 million.