Three Florida men were sentenced to a combined 47 years in federal prison on Monday for orchestrating a $92 million scheme that diverted HIV medications from legitimate supply chains and resold them on the black market.
CEO Michael Weiss, 58, received 20 years; his brother David Weiss, 55, received 15 years; and operations director Robert Kessler, 49, received 12 years. The men operated Miami-based PharmaDirect, a licensed wholesale distributor that prosecutors said bought stolen and expired HIV drugs at deep discounts, repackaged them with falsified labels, and sold them to pharmacies across 14 states.
Patients who received the diverted medications were at risk because the drugs' cold storage chain had been broken, potentially rendering them ineffective. HIV treatment requires consistent drug levels to prevent viral resistance.
Patient harm alleged
Court documents included testimony from three patients whose viral loads spiked after receiving suspect medication from PharmaDirect. 'These defendants prioritized profit over human life,' said Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Votaw.
The scheme operated from 2019 to 2024 and was uncovered after a routine FDA inspection flagged discrepancies in PharmaDirect's temperature logs. The company has since been shut down.
These defendants prioritized profit over human life. They sold medications that could have killed vulnerable patients.
All three defendants were also ordered to pay $92 million in restitution jointly and severally. The government has seized approximately $14 million in assets, including luxury cars and real estate.
