Daniel Richards, CEO of Draper, Utah-based pharmacy Meds in Motion, is facing a federal charge for allegedly importing hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine from China, according to a complaint filed Jan. 11 in the U.S. District Court of Utah.
The complaint says Mr. Richards received more than 500 kilograms of hydroxychloroquine and 50 kilograms of chloroquine from a Chinese vendor. It also says the drugs were misbranded and presented as "Boswellia serrata extract.”
Mr. Richards faces one misdemeanor count of receipt of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce.
In March, Utah bought 20,000 units of hydroxychloroquine from Meds in Motion for $800,000, planning to use the drug as a COVID-19 treatment. However, the state dropped the deal and was refunded in April after the FDA issued a warning discouraging the malaria drug's use as a COVID-19 treatment, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. There is currently no confirmation as to whether Mr. Richards' charge is connected to Utah's canceled deal.
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