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A Marina del Rey woman was sentenced Friday to 51 months in prison for smuggling human growth hormone into the United States and illegally selling it on the Internet.
Rana Hunter, 61, was convicted by a federal court jury in October of eight counts, including two each for smuggling and knowingly distributing the substance without authorization.
The other convictions were for identity theft, which she did to further her Internet sales scheme, authorities said.
Before Hunter was sentenced, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess noted that she stole more identities in this case than in any other case he'd presided over, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
Some of the stolen identities she used came from newspaper obituaries, including one belonging to a deceased Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
After a tip, ICE undercover agents posed as suppliers for spas and medical clinics to make two buys from Hunter in March 2007.
Story from Daily Breeze. com
A Los Angeles-area woman has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for smuggling human growth hormone into the United States, then selling it over the Internet to doctors and spas across the country.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said 61-year-old Rana J. Hunter, of Marina del Rey, was sentenced Friday after being convicted in October on federal identity theft and smuggling charges.
Judge Gary Feess says Hunter stole as many identities as he had seen in any case.
ICE investigators intercepted packages in the mail that contained vials of HGH and Botox. The HGH was real but the Botox turned out to be fake.
ICE says a dozen medical doctors and spa operators who may have made purchases from Hunter are under investigation.
Rana Hunter, 61, was convicted by a federal court jury in October of eight counts, including two each for smuggling and knowingly distributing the substance without authorization.
The other convictions were for identity theft, which she did to further her Internet sales scheme, authorities said.
Before Hunter was sentenced, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess noted that she stole more identities in this case than in any other case he'd presided over, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
Some of the stolen identities she used came from newspaper obituaries, including one belonging to a deceased Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
After a tip, ICE undercover agents posed as suppliers for spas and medical clinics to make two buys from Hunter in March 2007.
Story from Daily Breeze. com
A Los Angeles-area woman has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for smuggling human growth hormone into the United States, then selling it over the Internet to doctors and spas across the country.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said 61-year-old Rana J. Hunter, of Marina del Rey, was sentenced Friday after being convicted in October on federal identity theft and smuggling charges.
Judge Gary Feess says Hunter stole as many identities as he had seen in any case.
ICE investigators intercepted packages in the mail that contained vials of HGH and Botox. The HGH was real but the Botox turned out to be fake.
ICE says a dozen medical doctors and spa operators who may have made purchases from Hunter are under investigation.
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