Indian American sentenced to 33 months for smuggling misbranded drugs

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Indian American Ramesh Buchirajam Akkela, who is originally from Mumbai, has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for money laundering and smuggling misbranded drugs into the U.S. from India, according to a PTI report.

Akkela, 44, was arrested in Panama earlier this year and was deported back to the U.S. on Thursday, March 15, where senior judge Donetta W. Ambrose sentenced him the next day after his conviction of mail fraud and money laundering, according to a court statement.

According to the court statement, Akkela had shipped misbranded drugs from India to re-shippers in the U.S. who then distributed them to American consumers without a prescription.

The PTI also reported that Akkela operated a website that offered prescription drugs to American consumers without a prescription.

Akkela was indicted on two counts of money laundering and 10 counts of mail fraud, according to the PTI report.