Florida man sentenced for distributing $16.7 million in tainted HIV drugs nationwide

MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — A Miami man was sentenced on Thursday to four years and three months in prison for his role in a nationwide scheme to illegally distribute at least $16.7 million of adulterated HIV drugs.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) the drugs were dispensed to unsuspecting patients throughout the country.

According to court documents,43-year-old Armando Herrera and his co-conspirators established companies in Florida, Texas, Washington and California, which they used to sell and distribute tainted prescription drugs, primarily HIV medications, to wholesale pharmaceutical suppliers. Adulterating the drugs makes them weaker or lower in quality.