April 9, 2009

DOCTOR WHO PRESCRIBED DIET DRUGS OVER THE INTERNET PLEADS GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT
– Controlled substances sold over the internet in the United States and in foreign countries

LOUISVILLE, KY – Tufan Senler, age 50, of Louisville, Kentucky, has pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn, II to dispensing and distributing controlled substances, exporting controlled substances to foreign countries without a permit, money laundering and misbranding of drugs, Acting U.S. Attorney Candace G. Hill of the Western District of Kentucky announced today.

Senler pled guilty to all five counts charged in an Information filed on March 10, 2009. The information alleges that between 2002 and 2005, Senler, a physician, sold diet prescription drugs over the internet through his website dietprescriptions.com.

According to a factual basis contained in Senler’s plea agreement, Senler operated two businesses, Kentucky Body Works, d/b/a Weight Loss Plus, which operated his clinic, and Science of Better Living, which operated his website. Senler admitted that he dispensed, distributed and exported diet prescription drugs through his website to customers who did not have valid prescriptions. He further admitted he did not engage in a legitimate doctor-patient relationship since he had no face-to-face contact with the customers who ultimately purchased the drugs. The prescriptions issued through the website were not consistent with the professional practice of medicine and were being provided outside the standard legitimate practice of medicine. Finally, the drugs issued were not issued in compliance with Food and drug Administration requirements, and thus they were adulterated and/or misbranded.

Senler also admitted that at no time during the relevant time period did he have a valid exportation permit issued by the Attorney General of the United States to dispense or distribute controlled non-narcotic drugs to other countries.

Additionally, Senler admitted that he engaged in monetary transactions with the proceeds of this illegal activity. Customers’ deposits were placed into a Kentucky Body Works’ bank account and then subsequently transferred to Senler’s personal bank account. Some of these proceeds were used to make several purchases of property.

Senler admitted that he received approximately $15 million from his role in the above offenses.

Senler faces a maximum penalty of 21 years in prison and a fine of over $6.7 million when he is sentenced by Judge John G. Heyburn, II, on July 8, 2009.

The case is being prosecuted by Lettricea Jefferson-Webb and Amy Sullivan and was investigated by the drug Enforcement Agency, Kentucky State Police, Food & drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.