Laguna Hills Man Arrested for Allegedly Dealing Illegal Pet Meds

LAGUNA HILLS, CA — If your pet needs meds, better to consult a local vet than purchase prescription medication online.

On Tuesday, a Laguna Hills man was arrested on charges that he used the internet to sell misbranded veterinary medications without a prescription.

This is the second time he has faced the U.S. Attorney's Office on charges of selling animal prescription drug products without a prescription.

Sean Gerson, 48, the owner of a Lake Forest business called Vaccination Services, was taken into custody Tuesday by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Gerson was scheduled to make his initial appearance Tuesday in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

Gerson was arrested following a two-count criminal complaint filed on Dec. 6, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office Central District of California spokesperson. The complaint alleges that Gerson delivered into interstate commerce two misbranded drugs:

The complaint, which contains one felony count and one misdemeanor count, alleges that the drugs were knowingly dispensed without a prescription according, to the U.S. District Court Los Angeles spokesperson.

Gerson is alleged to have sold Comfortis that was designed for the South African market and was not approved for distribution in the United States, they said.

"Uncontrolled distribution of antibiotics and medication pose a threat to public safety, including the fostering of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The drugs involved in this case allegedly were distributed without the supervision of a licensed professional, which greatly increases the risk of unintended consequences beyond the animals taking the medication.”

According the affidavit, Gerson allegedly used several websites – including www.fleastuff.com, www.mydoghasfleas.xyz and www.fleaandtickstuff.com – to market prescription animal products to buyers without valid prescriptions, rendering the medications misbranded.

Additionally, federal law prohibits the importation and sale of veterinary medicines that have not been approved by the FDA and EPA for use in this country.

In conjunction with Gerson’s arrest, federal investigators executed a search warrant at a Laguna Hills storage unit linked to Gerson, where they seized a variety of veterinary prescription products.

A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If he is convicted of two counts in the complaint, Gerson would face a statutory maximum sentence of four years in federal prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office, this week’s arrest marks the second time Gerson has been linked to the illegal sale of pet medications and products.

"He pleaded guilty in Harris County, Texas, in 2014 to state charges of delivery of a dangerous drug, specifically a prescription drug called Clenbuterol," the U.S. Attorney's office said. "According to the affidavit filed in connection with this week’s charges, following that conviction, Gerson agreed to work as a confidential informant for authorities, with the stipulation he could not sell animal prescription drug products."

Photo, Mission Viejo Animal Services