In the ongoing Ozempic craze, one woman's alleged actions may have had dangerous effects.
Isis Navarro Reyes, a TikToker and New York state resident, was arrested on May 1 for allegedly using social media to illegally promote and sell misbranded Ozempic—the type two diabetes drug often used for weight loss—as well as Mesofrance and Axcion products per a statement from the Southern District of New York's Attorney's Office.
E! News has reached out to Reyes' attorney for comment but has not yet heard back.
According to the statement from authorities, between November 2022 and January 2024 Reyes "marketed, advertised, and sold various misbranded weight loss drugs that require a prescription" which she acquired from Central and South America.
In about December 2023, per the attorney's office, a law enforcement officer working in an undercover capacity communicated with Reyes, 36, and eventually purchased what was advertised as Ozempic from her without being asked to provide a prescription. The labeling on the medication was reportedly all in Spanish, in violation of FDA regulations.
Additionally, an unnamed woman listed as "Victim-1" in the statement allegedly purchased 30 injections of Mesofrance in February 2023 from Reyes, again without being asked for or providing a prescription.
In July 2023, Victim-1 reportedly began developing lesions from administering the medication, which her physician diagnosed as a "mycobacterium abscessus infection, which is frequently caused by the contamination of medications, medical products, and medical devices with the mycobacterium abscessus bacterium."
Reyes has been charged with one count of smuggling, one count of receipt of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce and subsequent delivery thereof, three counts of dispensing prescription drugs without prescriptions and one count of conspiracy to introduce and deliver for introduction a misbranded drug in interstate commerce. The first count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with each subsequent count carrying a maximum sentence of one year.
The statement notes, "The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams also weighed in on the case.
"Reyes's alleged unlawful dispensing of these drugs caused significant, life-threatening injuries to some victims and put all of her victims in harm's way," he said in a message shared to his department's website. "Recently, public interest in semaglutide and weight loss drugs has skyrocketed, and criminals have sought to take advantage of this interest for their ends."
His statement continued, "With this, the first misbranding and adulteration charges brought pertaining to Ozempic, Reyes will be held accountable for her conduct, and criminals should think twice before trying to sell weight loss drugs without a license to do so. This case makes clear that extreme caution and physician consultation should always be taken when purchasing medications, especially on social media."
To read more about the Ozempic craze, and the many celebrities who have spoken about the medication, keep scrolling…
Jon Gosselin
Ree Drummond
Tracy Morgan
Brooke Burke
Tori Spelling
Raven-Symoné
Sharon Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne
Kate Winslet
Heidi Montag
Amy Schumer
Dr. Drew Pinsky
Sophie Turner
Chelsea Handler
Khloe Kardashian
Dr. Terry Dubrow
Kyle Richards
Jessica Simpson
Dr. Paul Nassif
Golnesa "GG" Gharachedaghi
Remi Bader
Dolores Catania
Billie Jean King
Gracie McGraw
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