Man jailed for laundering £800K from sale of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicine

A man from West Sussex has been jailed after he laundered money from the sale of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicine.

Mo Phipps from Haywards Heath pleaded guilty to charges of laundering an estimated £810,000 between May 2012 and July 2016. He has been jailed for three years and four months.

He was investigated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after the supply of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines from an illegally operating website came to light in October 2014.

The MHRA’s investigation uncovered bank accounts used in the illegal transactions. The enquiries showed that Phipps had laundered funds generated from the illegal sales.

In the UK, medicines must hold relevant authorisations for legal sale or supply. The authorisation process guarantees that the products have undergone testing to ensure that they meet required standards of quality, safety and efficacy. 

Failure to hold appropriate licences is a criminal offence under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. 

Andy Morling, MHRA Deputy Director, Criminal Enforcement said: “My advice to the public is to only buy medicines from a reputable source such as a registered pharmacy.”

John Werhun, Specialist Prosecutor, Serious Economic Organised Crime International Directorate, Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Phipps thought he could evade detection by using a different name and various bank accounts, but evidence presented in court proved he was responsible.

"The illicit sale of medicines is extremely dangerous - and we will prosecute these cases wherever our legal tests are met.”

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