Iselin Man Charged with Selling Fake 'Natural' Male Enhancement Pills

A local man was arrested Wednesday for selling what he said were 'natural' male enhancement pills, which turned out to be laced with the prescription drugs Viagra and Cialis. 

Shuja Ali Syed, 52, originally from Pakistan and now a resident of the Iselin section of Woodbridge, was arrested and charged Wednesday with trafficking in counterfeit male enhancement supplements imported from China and with money laundering proceeds of more than $1 million, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

From February 2012 through January 2013, authorities said Syed imported counterfeit Libigrow, Blue Diamond, Nite Rider, and ExtenZe from China, and sold the products to undercover law enforcement agents and other individuals in New Jersey and New York.

Officials said taht Syed represented the products as being “all natural,” when, in fact, laboratory analyses of the counterfeit products indicated that they contained either sildenafil or tadalafil - commonly known as Viagra and Cialis, respectively.

Both Viagra and Cialis are prescription drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration and used to treat, among other things, erectile dysfunction.

From December 2011 through November 2012, Syed deposited more than $600,000 into New Jersey bank accounts and wired more than $1 million to China, all of which were proceeds from the illegal importation and sale of the counterfeit products.

The criminal complaint charges Syed with one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $2 million, and one count of money laundering, which is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in Syed’s financial transactions.

Follow Woodbridge Patch on Facebook, Twitter and sign up for the daily newsletter.