US man found with nearly $250k worth of fake ED pills

A US man is alleged to have been planning to sell nearly a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of counterfeit erectile dysfunction pills.

According to local reports, officials have conducted a search at the home of Don Huggins, 40, where they recovered more than 7,000 tablets of counterfeit medication, including Pfizer’s Viagra (sildenafil) and Eli Lilly’s Cialis (tadalfil). Police say the total value of the pills is estimated to be $238,085.

Officials say they also found $200 in counterfeit money, nearly 4.5 ounces of marijuana and $1,600 of legitimate cash.

Cpl. Michael Camp said the search warrant and arrest was the result of a month-long investigation. He said investigators learned that the counterfeit pills were being manufactured somewhere in China and shipped to Huggins in the mail.

"He had several websites and once the pill would get into Huggins’ possession, he would place ads on Craigslist selling tablets," Camp told local reporters. "He then would either ship them or meet the person to sell the counterfeit pills."

Camp said most of the ingredients in the pills are unregulated and could be dangerous.

Manufacturers of Cialis and Viagra told Camp that, in most counterfeit cases, only a small amount of the actual prescription drug is included and that the pills are mostly filled with other items, such as old newspapers, ground up rubber from tires and other dangerous chemicals.

"We will send off the actual pills that were seized to determine their chemical makeup," Camp says.

Huggins has been charged with possession of drugs with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, forgery and forging and counterfeiting trademarks.