Man sentenced for conspiring to sell counterfeit cancer drug

HOUSTON - A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for his role in selling tens of thousands of dollars' worth of counterfeit oncology pharmaceuticals into the United States, according to a news release. 

What we know:

According to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, Sanjay Kumar was sentenced to serve 43 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by a one-year term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $58,000 in restitution. 

The sentence comes after Kumar pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. 

What they're saying:

According to the release, the court noted the cruel nature of Kumar's conduct in imposing the sentence, stating that he had intentionally marketed a drug that was intended for people who thought they were extending their lives, and instead, they received "junk." 

From August 2018 to June 2024, officials said Kumar and others arranged the sale of counterfeit versions of the cancer drug Keytruda valued at tens of thousands of dollars.

Officials said Keytruda is an FDA-approved immunotherapy used to treat melanoma and Hodgkin lymphoma as well as lung, head, neck, gastric, cervical and breast cancers. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, formerly Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., holds the exclusive right to authorize the manufacture and distribution of genuine Keytruda.

According to a release, the counterfeit medication was chemically inconsistent with real Keytruda and did not contain the active ingredient necessary for the drug to serve its medical purpose, thereby making it wholly ineffective. The packaging was also counterfeit and closely resembled trademarks registered to Merck.

Officials said during an undercover operation, Kumar attempted to sell additional quantities of counterfeit Keytruda. He admitted he knew the drugs would not work to treat cancer and described them as "just like water." 

A release stated that Kumar and others received approximately $89,268 for the sales of the fake drug. 

What's next:

Kumar has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.