Natalie K. Wight, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon
Nicole Randall, a 37-year-old resident of Cedar Park, Texas, has been sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty to introducing an adulterated drug into interstate commerce. The case was heard in Medford, Oregon.
Court documents reveal that between February 2020 and May 2022, Randall used fake names to smuggle GS-441524 into the United States. This drug had not received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human or animal use. It was disguised as facial masks, pet shampoo, beauty products, and cosmetics.
Randall lacked veterinary or prescriber licenses but used the Facebook group "FIP Warriors 5.0" to mislead customers. She diagnosed cats with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a viral disease affecting cats, and prescribed GS-441524 for treatment.
In August 2021, an agent joined FIP Warriors 5.0 and submitted photos of a healthy cat that had been examined by a licensed veterinarian. The cat was misdiagnosed with FIP and prescribed GS-441524 by Randall. Payments for these unapproved drugs were made through PayPal, Zelle, or CashApp without mentioning cat medicine or related terms in the payment notes.
A federal search warrant executed at Randall's residence in July 2022 led to the seizure of approximately 30 boxes of glass vials containing the adulterated drug. Investigators found that between July 2020 and June 2022, Randall distributed over 58,000 liquid vials and more than 236,000 pills of GS-441524.
Randall faced charges on June 4, 2024, for introducing an adulterated drug into interstate commerce. Her operation proved profitable; as part of her plea agreement she agreed to forfeit four real properties along with ten financial accounts and a Tesla valued at about $4 million combined.
The FDA conducted the investigation while John C. Brassell and Katherine C. de Villiers served as prosecutors from the U.S Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.
