Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer has announced that his office has secured the closure of four stores and a permanent injunction against a family allegedly behind the sale of 13,848 counterfeit and misbranded pharmaceuticals.

“We took action to shut down these stores because counterfeit and misbranded meds can be deadly,” Feuer said. “My office will continue working to hold fake pharmacists to account. Our residents’ health is on the line.”

Defendants in the case, People v. Dominguez, are unlicensed pharmacists who operated four unlicensed pharmacies, three in Los Angeles and a fourth in South Gate. Five of the defendants are from the same family and another defendant is the family trust. An additional defendant, a security guard, allegedly participated in the illegal scheme.

Multiple investigations by the Health Authority Law Enforcement Task Force over the past 16 years revealed the Dominguez family and their agents sold thousands of counterfeit and misbranded pharmaceuticals, including anti-seizure and blood pressure medications, injectable birth control and steroids. They were also found to have stored thousands of illegal pharmaceuticals in the family home in Montebello, which is owned by a trust supported by the illegal proceeds of the pharmaceutical ring.

Three of the businesses, located in the Westlake area of Los Angeles have been closed including A&L (also known as Opcion Natural and Excellent Nutrition) at 1826 James M. Wood Blvd., New Life Naturals at 708 Hartford Ave., and Better Naturals at 730 South Alvarado St. #7. The fourth, Los Tres Toros at 12101 Garfield Ave. in South Gate, has been sold to new owners. The case marked the first time in which the city attorney’s office has obtained a legal ruling requiring the closure of a business outside Los Angeles.

In 2010, the senior member of the Dominguez family was convicted of selling illegal pharmaceuticals from the pharmacy at 1826 James M. Wood Blvd. following a mother and son being hospitalized after receiving injections. Despite the conviction, the store continued operating and administering illegal injections by defendants who were not licensed.

In addition to a 10-year injunction and court-ordered $105,455 judgment, members of the Dominguez family are prohibited from possessing illegal, misbranded or counterfeit drugs; treating or diagnosing people; administering injections; and operating or accepting employment in any business in California related to the manufacture, sale or storage of commonly counterfeited goods.

Supervising City Attorney Kevin Gilligan, of the Intellectual Property Prosecution Section, secured the injunctions and civil penalties in the case.