Jury convicts Pinned Aminos 'research compounds' seller

A federal jury in New Haven, Connecticut, found Ryan Fields, 52, of Port Neches, Texas, guilty on September 18, 2026 of offenses tied to selling misbranded and unapproved prescription drugs online, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced on September 21.

What the evidence showed, according to DOJ

From September 2021 to June 2023, DOJ said, Fields and Lisa Mahan, formerly of Glastonbury, Connecticut, ran two websites, pinnedaminos.com and projectaminos.com, and a private Facebook group called Pinned Aminos. Through them they sold prescription drugs to customers across the country without requiring prescriptions. Some of the drugs were not approved by FDA, and some were imported from foreign manufacturers.

The release describes the disclaimers in detail:

• pinnedaminos.com “had a disclaimer that falsely stated that the products for sale were ‘intended for laboratory and research use only,’ and ‘not intended for human ingestion.’”
• Product labels said the drugs were “research compounds” and/or “not for human consumption.”
• “Contrary to these representations,” the two “knew and intended that the drugs they sold were for human use,” and gave customers information on health benefits and “directions on dosage” through emails and Facebook posts.

DOJ said Fields shipped more than 10,000 parcels and collected more than $1.4 million, and that proceeds paid for cars and a house in Texas. Fields and Mahan were arrested on August 23, 2023.

The verdict and what comes next

Fields was convicted on two counts. The first is a conspiracy count covering the introduction of misbranded or unapproved drugs into interstate commerce and smuggling, which carries up to five years in prison. The second, conspiracy to commit money laundering, carries up to 20 years. It also ordered forfeiture of his Texas residence and a vehicle. He remains on bond; sentencing had not been scheduled when DOJ announced the verdict.

Mahan pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on April 6, 2026 and was sentenced on August 13, 2026 to three years of probation. The case, United States v. Fields (3:23-cr-00144), is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden; the public docket shows the plea agreement and the sentencing hearing on those dates.

FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Why it matters

Most “research use only” cases end in plea deals. This one went to a jury, and the jury rejected the idea that the disclaimer described what was really being sold. The evidence that mattered was the same kind FDA cites in warning letters: dosing guidance and health claims made to buyers (how FDA reads intended use).