Haywards Heath man jailed for laundering £800k from sale of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines

The MHRA said that Mo Phipps, 35, was sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment at Lewes Crown Court on April 20, after pleading guilty to charges of laundering an estimated £810,000 between May 2012 and July 2016, which was generated from the sale of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines.

The MHRA said they investigated Phipps ‘after the supply of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines from an illegally operating website came to light in October 2014’.

An MHRA spokesperson said: “The MHRA’s investigation uncovered bank accounts used in the illegal transactions, leading to action being taken under proceeds of crime legislation.”

“The enquiries showed that Phipps had laundered funds generated from the illegal sales,” they said.

“In the UK, medicines must hold relevant authorisations for legal sale or supply,” said the MHRA spokesperson, adding that this process guarantees products have undergone testing to make sure they meet required standards of efficacy, quality and safety.

The MHRA said failure to hold appropriate licences is a criminal offence under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

Andy Morling, MHRA deputy director, Criminal Enforcement, added: “It is a criminal offence to sell controlled, unlicensed or prescription-only medicines without appropriate authorisation.”

“In this case, the individual laundered funds from the illegal sale of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines on an illegally operating website,” he said, adding that the medicines were not authorised for use by the MHRA and that their safety and quality of manufacture is unknown.

“My advice to the public is to only buy medicines from a reputable source such as a registered pharmacy,” said Mr Morling.

John Werhun, specialist prosecutor, Serious Economic Organised Crime International Directorate, Crown Prosecution Service, said: “A significant amount of money moved through Phipps’ bank accounts and it is clear he was laundering the proceeds of the sale of illicit medicines.”

“Phipps thought he could evade detection by using a different name and various bank accounts, but evidence presented in court proved he was responsible,” he said.

He added: “The illicit sale of medicines is extremely dangerous – and we will prosecute these cases wherever our legal tests are met.”