A man accused of regularly traveling from Ecuador to the U.S. to perform dentistry and dispense misbranded prescription drugs to patients was sentenced on February 19, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Daniel Pinos, 30, a citizen of Ecuador who pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce, was sentenced to one year of nonreporting probation and a $100 special assessment, according to a press release dated February 19 from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Since about 2022, Pinos, a dentist in Ecuador, reportedly regularly visited the U.S. to provide dental care and prescription drugs in exchange for payment. Pinos allegedly rendered these services and dispersed medications, which were shipped from Ecuador, though he was not licensed to do so in the U.S.
In September 2024, authorities made contact with Pinos and seized mislabeled prescription drugs, as well as medical and dental equipment, according to the release.
"In the U.S., we regulate health care and medications, to keep people safe," Acting U.S. Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer said in the press release. "Pinos understood that he wasn't licensed to practice dentistry or provide prescription drugs here, but did so, nonetheless."
