Key facts
- Matthew Kawa, owner of Paradigm Peptides, was jailed for selling unapproved medicines mixed with testosterone.
- Kawa's sister, Jennifer Stechkober, also received a prison sentence for her role in the company's operations.
- Paradigm Peptides falsely advertised its products as rigorously tested and US-made, but they were imported and unanalyzed.
- Daniel Murphy, a consumer, experienced psychosis after taking the company's supplements, believing his family wanted to kill him.
- Murphy is seeking compensation along with other victims who suffered various health issues.
Matthew Kawa, the owner of Paradigm Peptides, has been sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison for deliberately selling unapproved medicines, including supplements mixed with testosterone, to thousands of consumers worldwide. His sister, Jennifer Stechkober, received a 16-month sentence after also pleading guilty.
The company, which operated in an unregulated market, falsely claimed its products were manufactured in the US and rigorously tested for purity and potency. In reality, the supplements were imported from China, India, and other countries, and the company faked certificates of analysis. Despite marketing them as "dietary supplements" and claiming FDA contracts, the products were not approved for human consumption.
One victim, Daniel Murphy, 32, described how taking the supplements led to a severe mental health spiral, including psychosis, where he believed his wife was trying to steal his business and his mother-in-law intended to kill him. Murphy, who had previously undergone a significant health transformation, thought he was taking SARMs (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators) but was unknowingly consuming testosterone.
Murphy's wife, Laura, stated her husband changed "overnight" from a loving partner to someone she did not recognize. His mental state deteriorated, leading to an affair, excessive alcohol consumption, and paranoia about his loved ones. His condition began to improve only after he stopped taking the supplements in December 2024.
Dr. Erik Messamore, a consultant psychiatrist and pharmacologist, confirmed that Murphy likely suffered from steroid-induced psychosis. The FDA had been investigating Paradigm Peptides since 2020, issuing warning letters and eventually seizing products, which confirmed the presence of testosterone. However, it took six months after the FDA's findings for the business to be closed down.
Adam Taylor, a professor of anatomy at Lancaster University, highlighted the global risk posed by such unregulated markets, where consumers are unaware of the true composition of the products they are taking. Murphy is one of 167 victims who have come forward, seeking a total of $78,317 (£58,169) in compensation for damages, which include blood clots, heart issues, anxiety, and depression.