RAM Medical Pleads Guilty to Importing, Reselling Contaminated Surgical Equipment

RAM Medical Inc. of Wayne has admitted to importing and selling counterfeit and contaminated medical devices, according to U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. 

The medical device distributor, through its founder, Richard Mazon, 61, of Wayne, pleaded guilty to charges it introduced adulterated and misbranded medical devices into interstate commerce, according to a press release issued earlier this month by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

The company, which purchases overstocked and discounted products from wholesalers and suppliers all over the world and resells them to distributors in the United States, purchased approximately 420 boxes of surgical hernia mesh from Alpa Vision F.Z.E. in the United Arab Emirates, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Alpa purchased the mesh from M/S Medserve in India. RAM also purchased approximately 100 additional boxes directly from Medserve in September 2009, the release states. 

RAM medical admitted the mesh was periodically sold and distributed to seven customers. The company also admitted that numerous boxes of mesh sold between December 2008 and June 2009 included mesh that contained numerous microorganisms, according to the release. 

RAM Medical also acknowledged that boxes the company distributed between October 2008 and January 2010 contained misbranded, counterfeit mesh.

Each count carries a maximum potential penalty of five years of probation and a maximum fine of $200,000.

RAM Medical has agreed to make full restitution for the value of the mesh to any company or individual who purchased or used the mesh. As a special condition of probation, it will undertake responsibility for locating and destroying all of the counterfeit mesh it imported.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 8.