Thin case

A Philadelphia woman has pleaded guilty on charges that she illegally imported and distributed more than four million diet pills.  The U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia says the pills contained “a controlled substance, unapproved drugs, and a possible carcinogen.”  The woman, Mimi Trieu, a 46-year-old beauty parlor owner, conspired to smuggle the pills from China.  They were sent to the U.S. by mail in boxes that falsely described them as “gifts” to circumvent large payments through customs.  She advertised that the pills contained natural ingredients, but not that they contained Sibutramine, a schedule IV controlled substance.

Trieu faces a maximum of 243 years in prison and a fine of up to 4.5 million dollars.