Tennessee man admits selling unapproved drugs used in bodybuilding through his Kalispell business known as Rat’s Army

MISSOULA - A Tennessee man accused of creating and selling unapproved drugs for use in bodybuilding from his Kalispell business known as Rat's Army admitted to a federal crime on Jan. 9, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

The defendant, Tyler Jordan Hall, 31, of Greenville, Tennessee, was arraigned on and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with introduction of unapproved drugs into interstate commerce. Hall faces a maximum of three years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for May 15 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hall was released pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that from June 2020 through March 2022, Hall operated a business in Kalispell known as Rat's Army, LLC, to import, create, bottle and label drugs. Hall marketed these substances to individuals in the bodybuilding and fitness community to increase muscle mass, reduce body fat and counter the unwanted side effects of using bodybuilding drugs. Hall regularly caused the introduction of unapproved new drugs containing Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) and other active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) into interstate commerce.

Many of these substances were not safe for human use except for under the supervision of a practitioner licensed to administer prescription drugs. Some drugs were of similar composition to Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, which require special boxed warnings in their labeling emphasizing serious potential side effects, including pulmonary embolism.

The government further alleged that Hall obtained proceeds of approximately $3,805,470 from Rat's Army. This income was, at least in part, from the sale of unapproved drugs, including Raloxifene, Tamoxifen and Pramipexole, in interstate commerce.

Hall knowingly took steps to mislead and defraud United States regulatory agencies, including the FDA, about the true nature of products he was selling on the Rat's Army website. Hall falsely portrayed his products as "research chemicals" and "not for human consumption," despite knowing and intending that the products were for human ingestion to affect the structure and function of their bodies. Hall also took steps to mislead and defraud consumers to whom he was offering the sale of these drugs by posting misleading Certificates of Analysis on the website to convince consumers that Rat's Army was manufacturing products which were legitimate and safe to consume.

Hall knew the substances he was distributing required prescriptions, but he falsely claimed, "you do not need a doctor to write a prescription" or "access to a pharmacy, or pharmacist" to obtain products through Rat's Army. He repeatedly held out his company as a "pharmaceutical manufacturing" business, but he was not a pharmacist, nor did he ever employ a licensed pharmacist at Rat's Army. And Hall never registered Rat's Army with the FDA as a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility as is required.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case. The FDA conducted the investigation.

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