Paradigm Peptides owner Matthew Kawa got 70 months in a US prison. Forged lab certificates and research use labels sat at the centre of the case.
Written by the Peptide Labs Research Team
A US federal judge has sentenced Matthew Kawa, owner of Paradigm Peptides, to 70 months in prison. Law firm McDermott Will & Schulte says the sentence came in July 2026 in the Northern District of Indiana, for introducing unapproved drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead.
It sold products as "research use only" while knowing they were intended for human use. Kawa admitted in his guilty plea that he "knew that Paradigm's products were being marketed and sold for human consumption". The company had about 54,000 unique customers across all 50 states and 80 countries. Kawa agreed to forfeit $5 million.
Paradigm forged certificates of analysis to vouch for its products' quality. Government testing found that six compounds designed to mimic testosterone actually contained the steroid. The Partnership for Safe Medicines reports the judge said the business left "an incredible trail of harm".
The US Department of Justice noted that Kawa had ignored FDA warning letters sent in 2020 and 2022 for the same conduct. McDermott says that repeated disregard likely factored into the decision to prosecute. His sister, the company's main employee, received 16 months.
Our guide to reading a CoA sets out what each section should show. The FDA's August warning letters took the same view of research labels.
Peptide Labs supplies research peptides strictly for in-vitro laboratory use, not for human or animal use. This article reports public news and gives no use or dosing guidance.
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