McLean Med-Spa Owner Sentenced for Import, Use of Illegal Drugs on Patients

A McLean spa owner was sentenced last week to prison for importing and using illegal drugs and using them on patients without their consent or knowledge, according to a news release from the U.S. Justice Department.

Anoushirvan Sarraf, 48, who lives in Rockville, owner and operator of Aphrodite Advanced Esthetic & Skin Care Clinic (Aphrodite) 6643 Old Dominion Dr., in McLean, was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release.  

On May 6, Sarraf was convicted of 13 counts related to his involvement in a scheme to illegally import thousands of vials of non-FDA-approved chemotherapy drugs, injectable cosmetic drugs and devices into the United States.  

According to court records and evidence at trial, Sarraf partnered with Gallant Pharma International Inc. (Gallant Pharma), an unlicensed wholesale prescription drug distributor headquartered in Arlington, in exchange for a deeply discounted price on non-FDA-approved cosmetic drugs and devices.  Over a period of several years, Sarraf used those cosmetic drugs and devices on hundreds of Aphrodite patients without the patients’ knowledge or consent, according to the news release.

Sarraf allowed Gallant Pharma to use his medical license to order non-FDA-approved chemotherapy drugs and injectable cosmetics from around the world.  Most drugs were shipped first to the United Kingdom, where a trans-shipper would repackage the drugs and send them to the United States in smaller packages addressed to Aphrodite, bearing false customs declarations.  

When the drugs arrived at Aphrodite, a member of the conspiracy would open the boxes, take what they wanted for Aphrodite, and call individuals from Gallant Pharma to retrieve the remainder.  

Many of the shipments involved “cold-chain” drugs subject to strict temperature controls (which were not followed by the conspirators), and the use of these drugs posed serious potential harm to chemotherapy and cosmetic patients throughout the United States.  

During the three years that the partnership lasted, more than 17,000 units of non-FDA-approved pharmaceuticals passed through Aphrodite and were sold by Gallant Pharma for more than $10.33 million.

Ten co-defendants previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their involvement in the scheme. An eleventh co-defendant, Eva Montejo Pritchard, 49, of Rockville, who served as Aphrodite’s office manager, was also convicted on May 6, and will be sentenced on Friday.  

On July 8, James Quinn, 73, of the United Kingdom, who is alleged to have served as the trans-shipper for the conspiracy, was arrested in Atlanta, where he attempted to enter the United States. Quinn is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Alexandria this week.

This case was investigated by FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, DEA’s Group 33 Diversion Task Force, ICE-HSI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Arlington County Police Department.