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Ryan Fields, 49, and Lisa Mahan, 53, of Port Neches have been indicted with federal offenses for illegally selling misbranded and unapproved prescription drugs.

United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery made the announcement Wednesday, saying the duo is formerly of Glastonbury, Connecticut.

A federal grand jury in New Haven, Connecticut, handed down the charge.

The indictment was returned Aug. 8 and unsealed after Fields and Mahan were arrested Wednesday morning in Port Neches.

They are scheduled to appear Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

As alleged in the indictment, from September 2021 to June 2023, Fields and Mahan operated two websites, pinnedaminos.com and projectaminos.com, as well as a private Facebook group called Pinned Aminos, through which they illegally sold and distributed to customers throughout the U.S. misbranded prescription drugs.

They did not require customers to provide a valid prescription, and some of the drugs they sold and distributed were unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human consumption.

The drugs they sold also included drugs they illegally imported from foreign manufacturers.

The indictment further alleges to avoid detection and mislead the FDA, pinnedaminos.com  had a disclaimer that falsely stated the products for sale were “intended for laboratory and research use only” and “not intended for human ingestion.”

In addition, the labeling on the drugs sold and delivered to customers falsely stated the drugs were “research compounds” and/or “not for human consumption.”

Contrary to these representations, Fields and Mahan knew and intended the drugs they sold were for human use, and through emails and posts on the Pinned Aminos Facebook group, they provided customers with information on the health benefits of the drugs they sold and directions on dosage.

The indictment alleges Fields and Mahan unlawfully shipped more than 10,000 parcels to customers throughout the country and collected more than $1.4 million from customers.

Fields and Mahan used the proceeds to pay themselves, purchase cars and purchase a home in Texas.

The indictment charges Fields and Mahan with one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded or unapproved drugs into interstate commerce and to smuggle goods into the United States, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and Homeland Security are investigating this matter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel is prosecuting the case.