Wannabe TikTok influencer sold Ozempic, tainted weight loss drugs that left at least one dieter covered in gross lesions
A Long Island TikTokker was busted Wednesday for peddling Ozempic and other bacteria-tainted weight loss drugs – leaving at least one person sick and suffering from nasty lesions, federal prosecutors said.
Isis Navarro Reyes, 36, allegedly received popular weight loss drugs from Central and South America — including Ozempic, Mesofrance and Acxion — then hawked them on TikTok in dozens of videos from November 2022 through January 2024, according to the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office.
The Shirley, New York, woman sold the medications, which weren’t approved by the FDA for sale in the US, according to a criminal complaint.
Reyes – who goes by Beraly Navarro – didn’t have a license to sell drugs and didn’t ask for prescriptions from her buyers, the complaint says.
Through her account, “beralyreyes88,” Reyes “showcases the weight loss drugs, instructs viewers how frequently they should be used, describes how they should be taken or injected and claims to describe her personal experiences” using them — outlining side effects and the drugs’ effectiveness, according to the complaint.
In a video from Oct. 11, 2023, she demonstrated how to inject Ozempic and claimed it had worked for her, the filing alleges.
In the videos, she posted her cellphone number and told people to reach out to her if they wanted to buy the drugs, the complaint says.
But in one case, a White Plains woman developed lesions after jabbing herself with 28 doses of Mesofrance she ordered from Reyes that were tainted with a bacteria, the feds claim.
The victim called Reyes in November 2022 after seeing one of her TikTok videos and eventually bought 30 injections of Mesofrance, which Reyes mailed to her home in February 2023, the court documents say.
The woman allegedly dosed herself 28 times from February 2023 until June that year after receiving an audio message from Reyes telling her how to give herself the medication and instructing her to take it every three days.
But by July 13, 2023, the woman came down with lesions which she took pictures of and sent to Reyes, telling her about her condition, the filing claims.
In October that year, a doctor diagnosed her with mycobacterium abscessus infection from a bacteria — which is fast growing and resistant to multiple drugs.
The Department of Health in November tested the Mesofrance Reyes sold to her — which tested positive for the mycobacteria, the filing claims.
Reyes was caught earlier this year when she sold Ozempic to an undercover agent on Jan. 7 for $375, court papers allege.
The undercover agent messaged her on her cellphone starting in December 2023 and eventually paid her the money through Zelle before she mailed a package to the agent, the complaint says.
She allegedly never asked the agent for a prescription and the agent never provided one to he.
In an interview with the feds on Feb. 15, 2024 Reyes admitted to selling Ozempic she got from El Salvador five times after advertising the drugs on TikTok.
She also admitted to buying the Mesofrance on Facebook and said she stopped selling it because she knew it was illegal, the complaint says.
“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,” Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement, noting this was the first case relating to the misbranding and adulteration of Ozempic.
She was slated to appear in Manhattan federal court Wednesday on charges of smuggling, receipt of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce, dispersing of misbranded drug while held for sale, conspiracy and related crimes.
She faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on all six counts.
Reyes’ criminal defense attorney didn’t immediately return a request for comment Wednesday morning.
In April, TikTok said it was cracking down on influencers pushing Ozempic, Wegovy and other popular weight loss drugs — and would change its policy to stop allowing before-and-after photos starting this month.
Several weight loss drugs are seeing massive surges in popularity, with Ozempic generating around $13.9 billion last year.
