Another online seller of fake Viagra heads for jail

Yet another operator of an online site trafficking in counterfeit drugs will go to jail, at least for a short time, as federal authorities continue to chip away at the burgeoning problem. Shane Lance, 41, of Archdale, NC, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, but half of that will be served under house arrest. He also has to pay Pfizer ($PFE) $5,100 for trademark violations and investigative costs. Lance, like others, bought counterfeits of Pfizer's Viagra and Eli Lilly's ($LLY) Cialis erectile dysfunction drugs from China and then sold them online. With the help of manufacturers, authorities have been making cases against some online operators for years. Concern over online drug sales ratcheted up in the U.S. this year after it was discovered that physician cancer clinics had bought counterfeit batches of Avastin, the colon cancer drug made by Roche ($RHHBY). The fact that most of the sites are operated overseas and quickly moved if shut down has made it difficult to keep up with the problem. Last month, in an annual event, authorities worldwide shut down thousands of websites that sell unauthorized drugs. Release | More