A 45-year-old man has received a prison sentence for his involvement in the distribution of counterfeit cancer medications valued at tens of thousands of dollars within the United States.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced that Sanjay Kumar was sentenced to 43 months in federal prison, followed by a one-year period of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay more than $58,000 in restitution.
This sentencing follows Kumar’s guilty plea in October 2025 for conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. The court underscored the severity of Kumar’s actions, highlighting the deceptive nature of his marketing tactics aimed at individuals seeking life-extending treatments, only to receive ineffective substances.
From August 2018 to June 2024, Kumar and his associates orchestrated the sale of counterfeit versions of Keytruda, a cancer drug worth tens of thousands of dollars. Keytruda is an FDA-approved immunotherapy utilized for treating various cancers, including melanoma and lung cancer, and is exclusively manufactured and distributed by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC.
Investigators revealed that the counterfeit drugs were chemically inconsistent with legitimate Keytruda and lacked the essential active ingredient required for medical efficacy. Furthermore, the packaging falsely mimicked the registered trademarks of Merck.
During an undercover operation, Kumar attempted to sell additional counterfeit Keytruda and acknowledged that the drugs would not effectively treat cancer, referring to them as “just like water.” Reports indicated that Kumar and his associates made approximately $89,268 from the sales of these fraudulent medications.
Kumar remains in custody and is awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined shortly.
