Amtrak employee, co-conspirator charged with conspiring to distribute misbranded drugs

NEWARK, N.J. – An Amtrak employee and co-conspirator were charged in federal court Tuesday for allegedly taking part in a scheme to market and distribute misbranded and unapproved new drugs.

According to court documents, Keith Kovaleski, 54, of South Amboy, and Ines Maltez, 33, of Sayreville, were charged with conspiring to distribute and cause the receipt and delivery of misbranded drugs and unapproved new drugs, and to impede the functions of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Kovaleski, an assistant foreman at Amtrak, was the principal for All American Peptide. AAP was an online company that marketed and distributed substances used by bodybuilders and others engaged in weight training to enhance performance and mitigate the side effects of performance-enhancing substances. Between April 2018 and December 2018, undercover law enforcement agents made five purchases of misbranded drugs and unapproved new drugs from the AAP website, according to court documents. Maltez participated in the scheme by packaging and mailing misbranded and unapproved drugs and receiving payments from customers.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross financial gain or loss.
Amtrak OIG supported the joint investigation which included special agents from the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations in New York, U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspectors, and attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey.

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U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/middlesex-county-new-jersey-man-and-…