Manitoba Internet-drug pioneer arrested in Miami

Brandon Sun - ONLINE EDITION

By: Gabrielle Giroday

15/06/2012 11:55 AM

A Manitoba man and pioneer in the Internet pharmacy industry was arrested in Miami on charges of selling counterfeit medicines, a report says.

The Wall Street Journal says 38-year-old Andrew Strempler appeared Thursday in a federal court in Miami.

It says he could face up to 20 years in prison for each of the three charges against him, as well as a forfeiture of $95 million.

A Miami Federal court clerk said Friday Strempler had been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, as well as two counts of mail fraud.

The charges date from a period from January 2005 to June 2006, said the clerk.

The Journal quotes a court clerk as saying that Strempler is expected to be arraigned next week.

Strempler is an online pioneer who once ran the Manitoba-based online pharmacy, RxNorth. He later moved business to an island off the coast of Venezuela, called PharmaCheck.

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Manitoba Internet-drug pioneer arrested in Miami