The role fake Viagra played in a 70-year-old Miami doctor losing his license
Dr. Hugo Romeu, 70, wasn't a Viagra user, at least not in this case. Romeu was a seller and what he sold was a counterfeit version of the erectile dysfunction drug. That's not a crime. Hiding that what you're selling is a counterfeit version counts as a crime.
READ MORE: Health company sues CEO over 'greed.' How the sale of Miami hospitals is involved
The indictment in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia says Romeu bought faux Viagra out of Hong Kong. Romeu's guilty plea says he then created a false 'transaction statement,' dated Oct. 25, 2016 that said his Georgia-based company Pharmrce bought 100 bottles of actual Viagra from Santa Ana, California's McGuff Company.
This statement went to a Pharmrce customer in Brunswick, Georgia, thus the location of the indictment.
'First: [Romeu] knowingly created a false product tracing document concerning the prescription drug Viagra,' his guilty plea said. 'Second: [Romeu] provided this false document to his customer. Third: [Romeu] did this with intent to defraud and mislead.'
Romeu pleaded guilty to failure to comply with a product tracing information requirement. He was sentenced to four months in prison, $171,835 in restitution. He was released on May 7, 2021.
READ MORE: Could illegal butt lifts get a Miami plastic surgery center suspended again?
Romeu's professional discipline history
Romeu had been licensed in Florida since Aug. 16, 1993. His previous troubles hinted at similar dishonesty as his Viagra shenanigans.
Back in 2006, the Florida Department of Health said he provided no records for 101 child patients for whom he billed Medicaid. Of the 146 pediatric patient records he did send, only 'a small number' had parent or guardian information.
Florida's Board of Medicine fined Romeu $10,000; ordered him to pay $6,722 in case costs; take two continuing medical education classes; and do 50 hours of community medical service.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
19 minutes ago
- New York Post
Multiple families were sent the wrong bodies after Air India disaster: report
Families of UK residents killed in last month's Air India disaster have been sent the wrong bodies in repatriation blunders. The Daily Mail reports that at least two cases of mistaken identity had come to light, with one family having to abandon a funeral after being informed their coffin contained an unknown body. In another case, a coffin contained 'co-mingled' remains of more than one person killed in the flight 171 crash at Ahmedabad in western India on June 12. The scandal has sparked top-level inquiries in both the UK and India, the Mail reports, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to raise concerns with counterpart Narendra Modi this week. 5 Basit Zargar/ZUMA Press Wire / There were 52 British citizens killed among the 261 people who died after the plane lost power and crashed into a residential area soon after it lifted off to fly to London. All but one of the 242 people on board died as well as 19 people on the ground. Aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt has been engaged to represent UK-based people impacted by the tragedy, with the remains of 12 people repatriated so far. 'I've been sitting down in the homes of these lovely British families over the last month, and the first thing they want is their loved ones back,' he told the Mail. 'But some of them have got the wrong remains and they are clearly distraught over this. 5 Getty Images 'It has been going on for a couple of weeks (and) I think these families deserve an explanation.' Healy-Pratt said the family which had received the wrong body had been left 'in limbo' since the devastating discovery was made. '(They) have no one to bury because it was the wrong person in their casket. 'And if isn't their relative, the question is, who is it in that coffin? Presumably it's another passenger and their relatives have been given the wrong remains. 'The coroner also has a problem because she has an unidentified person in her jurisdiction.' Investigations continue into how the disaster unfolded, with mounting attention on the actions of lead pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. 5 AFP via Getty Images Some experts who have reviewed the initial report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) believe a pilot on turned off two switches controlling fuel flow to the plane's engines. The first was moved three seconds after lift off and the other one second later, the AAIB report found, before being turned back on a further 10 seconds later. Fingers have been pointed at Captain Sabharwal because his younger co-pilot, Clive Kunder, would have had his 'hands full' while flying the plane. Air India's inspection of the locking feature on the fuel control switches of its existing Boeing 787 aircraft found no issues, an internal communication circulated within the airline said on July 17. 5 AFP via Getty Images India's aviation regulator ordered the country's airlines this week to investigate the locking feature on the switches of several Boeing models. The order came after Boeing notified operators that the fuel switch locks on its jets were safe. However, it was in line with a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018, which recommended inspection of the locks to ensure they could not be moved accidentally. Air India's probe found no problems with the locking mechanism. 5 Saurabh Sirohiya/NurPhoto/Shutterstock 'Over the weekend, our Engineering team initiated precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all our Boeing 787 aircraft,' the airline's flight operations department said in a communication to its pilots. 'The inspections have been completed and no issues were found.' A spokesperson for the UK government told the Mail formal identification of the bodies was a 'matter for the Indian authorities'. 'We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for the families, and our thoughts remain with them,' they said.


Newsweek
20 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Man Who Came to US at Age 2 Detained by ICE
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A 21-year-old Virginia Tech student who has lived in the United States since he was 2 years old and is in the process of applying for a green card was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment. Why It Matters President Donald Trump campaigned on mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, specifically targeting those with violent criminal records, and his administration ramped up immigration enforcement since his return to office in January. Recent polls, however, suggest some Americans are turning on Trump's immigration policy amid reports that individuals with no criminal records or nonviolent offenses are being targeted. The administration said it deported around 100,000 illegal immigrants in the initial months of the presidency. Many individuals have been deported following Trump invoking the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has been criticized and blocked by judges. What To Know On July 9, Cristian Romo-Bermejo attended a going-away party for his friend. During the party, his friends believed he began to have a panic attack, and he asked for an ambulance, Blacksburg-based news station WSLS reported. His sister, Carina, said police arrived with the ambulance, and he told them that he did not have legal status. Police allege that Romo-Bermejo threatened medical staff and assaulted officers while at the hospital. His sister told WSLS that he "has no criminal record" and is "not a violent person." Romo-Bermejo, from Mexico, is married to a U.S. citizen, Jadyn Yost, who says he is in the process of applying for a green card. She told WSLS that they plan to seek cancellation of removal once the criminal case is settled. ICE responded to his arrest in a statement first reported by WSLS, writing that Romo-Bermejo was "illegally present" in the U.S. and was "charged with two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer." "On July 13, the Montgomery County Jail honored the ICE detainer and transferred custody to ICE Washington, D.C. who served Romo-Bermejo a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge. Romo-Bermejo will further be held in custody without bond as he is subject to mandatory detention under the Laken Riley Act," the statement reads. ICE records reviewed by Newsweek show that he remains in custody at the Farmville Detention Center in Farmville, Virginia. A man holds a sign that reads "Love your immigrant neighbor" during a protest in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. A man holds a sign that reads "Love your immigrant neighbor" during a protest in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. DAVID PASHAEE/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images A GoFundMe campaign for Romo-Bermejo has raised over $33,000. "Cristian is not a criminal. He is not a threat. He is a husband, a friend, a classmate. He is a person who shows more strength and dedication than most of us will ever be asked to. This country is the only place he has ever known, and now he is locked away from all of it," the GoFundMe reads. There have been numerous reports of migrants living in the U.S. being detained amid Trump's immigration crackdown. For instance, a Michigan mother of two is facing deportation after reporting an alleged assault to her local police. A Brazilian man living in Florida with a valid Florida ID and work permit was detained while visiting the Grand Canyon last month. What People Are Saying Cristian Romo-Bermejo's wife, Jadyn Yost, told WSLS: "He was disoriented and scared and begging to be taken to a hospital to get help. He wasn't trying to cause harm." Attorney John Fishwick told WSET: "The fact that he's being held, they may be taking the position that he's an illegal citizen and therefore we want to remove him from this country." Eduardo Zelaya, Virginia's organizing director at immigration advocacy group CASA, said in a statement: "The illegal and inhumane criminalization of Cristian is yet another example of rising authoritarian ideals that are being adopted and implemented in our commonwealth of Virginia. He experienced a health emergency and should have received care and compassion, not handcuffs and detention." What Happens Next Romo-Bermejo's next immigration hearing is scheduled for August, reported Lynchburg news station WSET. His family and legal team plan to seek cancellation of removal once the criminal case concludes.


CBS News
20 minutes ago
- CBS News
Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputy charged with receipt and production of child sexual abuse material, DOJ says
A Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested Wednesday on federal charges of receiving and producing visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The complaint alleges Carle Miranda Blum, 51, received multiple videos and images of a 17-year-old victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct, the DOJ stated. In spring 2025, Blum traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, where she recorded videos of herself engaging in sex acts with the minor, according to the complaint. The production charge carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, while the receipt charge carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 20 years, the DOJ noted. CBS News Miami reached out to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office for comment and is waiting to hear back.