<p>Federal authorities have indicted 11 people in Georgia, North Carolina, South Dakota and Belize on fraud and drug charges for selling unapproved prescription drugs over the Internet.</p><p>The operation, which authorities say is based in Alpharetta, Ga., marketed the drugs as Canadian through unsolicited e-mails, but the pills actually were made in Belize, officials said Wednesday.</p><p>Named in the indictment are Jared Robert Wheat, 34, of Alpharetta; David Dalton Johnson, 37, of Pinehurst, N.C.; David Alan Brady, 40, of Pinehurst, N.C.; Stephen Douglas Smith, 38, of Duluth, Ga.; Thomas Holda, 43 of Duluth, Ga.; Sergio Ronaldo Oliveira, 46, of Hoschton, Ga.; Brad Neal Watkins, 38, of Birmingham, Ala.; David Watkins, 40, of Norcross, Ga.; Steben Blinder, 42, of Aberdeen, S.D.; and two citizens of Belize, Michelle Young, 38, and Guillermo Pech, 28.</p><p>Also named in the indictment was Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, a Norcross company of which Wheat was the principal owner.</p><p>Wheat, Smith, Oliveira and David Watkins were to appear before U.S. Magistrate Linda Walker in Atlanta later Wednesday where federal prosecutors are expected to reveal more details about the case.</p><p>"The indictment's allegations are disturbing because customers thought they were getting legitimate and safe prescription drugs over the Internet from Canada at cheaper prices, when in reality they received adulterated fakes that were crudely made in an unsanitary house in Belize," U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said.</p><p>Nahmias said the drugs were "not properly produced or regulated. You don't know what you're getting." He said authorities did not know how many customers were involved, but obviously it was hundreds.</p><p>Nahmias said those arrested out of state would have hearings in those states. The only fugitive, he said, was Brad Watkins, David's brother.</p><p>"One of the fastest growing drug abuse concerns is prescription drugs," said Sherri Strange, special agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration. "The selling and purchasing of drugs has been facilitated by the wide use of the internet, the anonymity it provides, and the ease and relative secrecy of the mail and private delivery companies."</p><p>The indictment seeks forfeiture of numerous properties, automobiles and bank accounts, and seeks a money judgment of not less than $19.8 million.</p><p>Nahmias said the defendants are accused of making 24 different drugs that they marketed through so-called 'spam' advertisements over the Internet as authentic generic versions of those drugs being imported from Canada.</p><p>The drugs included steroids such as oxymethelone and stanazolol, plus unapproved versions of controlled drugs such as Ambien, Valium and Xanax and prescription drugs such as Viagra, Cialis, Lipitor and Vioxx, Nahmias said.</p><p>He said from 2002 through 2004, the defendants allegedly ordered enough active ingredients to manufacture millions of pills.</p>
