Federal Grand Jury Indicts 2 Indian Nationals for Smuggling Fake Ozempic

A federal grand jury in Florida has indicted two Indian nationals for smuggling counterfeit Ozempic to the United States, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.

In a statement, the DOJ said Swapnadip Roy, 33, and Vicky Ramancha, 37, continued with the scheme even after some of the counterfeit Ozempic was seized in December 2023, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public warning.

The FDA warned Ozempic patients and those seeking weight-loss treatment at the time to only purchase the drug with a valid prescription through a state-licensed pharmacist or pharmacy. It also advised retail pharmacies to only get the drug through distributors authorized by the drug’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk.

Roy and Ramancha are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit smuggling and to defraud the United States, three counts of smuggling, and two counts of selling counterfeit drugs and holding counterfeit drugs for sale.

They face a maximum penalty of 71 years in prison each if convicted.

‘Unauthorized Sources’

“Counterfeit prescription drugs—especially common ones—threaten the health and safety of every American who depends on the integrity of our pharmaceutical supply,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said.

Roy was arrested on an Interpol Red Notice in Italy and was then extradited, making his first appearance in court in Florida on Tuesday.

Roy and Ramancha allegedly obtained counterfeit Ozempic from “unauthorized sources in China,” the DOJ said, according to court documents.

“The counterfeit Ozempic allegedly distributed by Roy, Ramancha, and their co-conspirators included counterfeit packaging, package inserts, pen labels, and needles meant to deceive downstream customers into believing they were purchasing authentic Ozempic authorized by the manufacturer.”

The conspiracy allegedly began in July 2023, or possibly even before, and carried on until April 2024, the DOJ said.

In February 2025, Ozempic and Wegovy were taken off the FDA’s list of drugs for which there was a shortage, but during 2023 and 2024, demand for both drugs exceeded Novo Nordisk’s supply of the drugs in the United States, Germany, and the UK.

The shortage was partly responsible for the creation of a black market in Ozempic, which is capable of helping some patients lose up to 15 percent of their body weight.

A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida returned an indictment, which alleges that Roy, Ramancha, and unnamed co-conspirators sold counterfeit Ozempic to distributors in the United States at heavily discounted prices.

It was not immediately clear whether Roy or Ramancha had legal representatives who could comment on their behalf.

“Infiltrating the American drug supply with counterfeit products isn’t just a crime — it’s also a direct threat to public health and patient safety,” Kyle Diamantas, acting FDA commissioner of food and drugs, said in a statement.