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Utah pharmacist gets probation for importing drug officials wanted for COVID-19 use

The Draper executive shipped chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine falsely labeled as herbal extract for his no-bid contract with the state.
Dan Richards
Posted at 5:24 AM, Apr 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-06 11:34:17-04

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah pharmacist will not serve prison time for illegally importing an antimalarial drug the state had planned to buy as part of a controversial coronavirus treatment plan.

Dan Richards, CEO of the Draper-based Meds in Motion, in January pleaded guilty to importing hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine from a vendor that wasn’t registered with U.S. drug regulators, in shipments that were falsely labeled as an herbal supplement.

A federal judge on Monday sentenced Richards to three years’ probation, as well as $10,000 in fines and the cost of destroying the unused hydroxychloroquine, up to $30,000.

Richards was poised to sell millions of dollars worth of hydroxychloroquine to the state last spring, as the drug was gaining “hype” as a possible coronavirus cure, said prosecutor Ruth Hackford-Peer.

Click here to read the full story from The Salt Lake Tribune.