Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
A Rockingham man, Adam Meland, has pleaded guilty to charges related to operating an online platform for selling illegal drugs. The plea was entered on Monday in New Bern, North Carolina. Meland, aged 45, admitted to introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Leondas Paul, 39, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charge.
Mark James Meland from Rockingham faced charges in September 2023 for creating and running MadisonJamesResearchChems.com. This website sold FDA-regulated drugs without authorization, including medications for weight loss, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and narcolepsy. He was charged with introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and money laundering and could face over 20 years in prison.
Court documents reveal that Mark Meland sourced pharmaceutical ingredients from China and other countries. These were mixed with cutting agents and repackaged into capsules and vials at his business Copy Proz before being shipped nationwide. Neither he nor his associates were registered with the FDA or licensed to handle prescription drugs legally.
The products sold often lacked proper usage directions or bore misleading labels such as "not for human consumption." Some items also did not have the necessary FDA approval for sale in the United States.
Authorities seized hundreds of capsules and bottles labeled as containing controlled substances like steroids during a search of Copy Proz. They also confiscated more than $150,000 in cash along with illegal firearms.
Mark Meland passed away in February 2024 before his case concluded. Leondas Paul received a six-month probation sentence on March 6, 2024, for his involvement through a related website LP3Health.com. Adam Meland awaits sentencing and faces up to three years imprisonment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced these developments following the acceptance of Adam Meland's plea by US Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones Jr. The Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations is handling the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton prosecutes the case.
Further details can be accessed via the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina's website or PACER using Case Nos. 5:23-mj-2147, 5:25-cr-00034, and 5:24-cr-00283.
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