FDA Agents Bust Man Selling Illegal and Unsafe Bodybuilding Drugs

By: Rachael Burden, Public Affairs Specialist, Office of Inspections & Investigations

Rat’s Army lab in Kalispell, Montana, where Hall illegally manufactured bodybuilding drugs.

The drugs had flashy, intriguing names like Thizzle Berry, Strawberry Lemonade and Clown Tears—and they were not approved by the FDA. But that didn’t stop one man from selling them anyway.

Tyler Hall, 31, of Greenville, Tenn., illegally manufactured and sold unapproved drugs to individuals in the bodybuilding and fitness community through a business he operated known as Rat’s Army, LLC, in Kalispell, Montana. He claimed the substances would increase muscle mass, reduce body fat, and counter the unwanted side effects of using bodybuilding drugs.

These unapproved drugs contained Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMS) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMS), chemical substances that mimic the effects of anabolic steroids, as well as other active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) typically only available by prescription.

Hall used Rat’s Army to import, create, bottle, and label the products without FDA approval. By crossing state lines to sell these drugs to consumers with the intent to defraud or mislead, Hall introduced misbranded drugs into interstate commerce—a federal felony.

This case underscores the FDA’s critical role in safeguarding the public health. Drugs produced outside the legitimate U.S. supply chain, like those made and sold by Rat’s Army, can present serious health risks to people who buy and use them.

When it comes to illegal activities involving FDA-regulated products, FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) protects the American public by conducting criminal investigations, arresting those responsible, and bringing them before the Department of Justice for prosecution.

FDA OCI was first notified by another agency about a complaint related to Rat’s Army. The OCI special agent on the case confirmed the business was not a registered pharmaceutical manufacturer, requested a financial investigation, conducted undercover purchases, and had the products lab-tested to determine if they contained the ingredients they claimed.

Thanks to OCI’s meticulous investigation, Hall’s operation has come to an end.

According to court documents, Hall represented Rat’s Army to the bodybuilding community as a safe and reputable manufacturer of SARMS, SERMS and other drugs, when in fact, the drugs were being produced with questionable manufacturing practices, in unsanitary conditions with little to no regard for human safety.

OCI’s investigation showed that Hall imported raw material from China, manufactured prescription-only drugs, Schedule III controlled substances and other synthetic steroids into a liquid form, and then packaged those products from his facilities in Montana and Tennessee.

Hall went to great lengths to mislead and defraud consumers about the true nature of the products he was selling.

The special agent explained that Hall exploited a lucrative demand for drugs among bodybuilders, misleading them into taking drugs that were not approved by the FDA and claiming they didn't need a doctor to write a prescription, which was patently false.

SARMS/SERMS are generally not considered safe for human use except under the supervision of a medical practitioner licensed by law. This is because of the toxicity or other potential for harmful effect of some of these products, or the method of their intended use. There are no standards for manufacturing these illegal drugs, some of which may contain no active ingredient at all. To get around this, Hall falsely represented the drugs as “research chemicals” that are “not safe for human consumption.”

But for seasoned investigators, like those at OCI, this was a tip off. They know through experience that bad actors try to disguise their products as a “research chemical,” and “not for human consumption” despite knowing that the products were for human ingestion to affect the structure and function of their bodies.

Hall also falsely claimed that Rat’s Army was a “pharmaceutical manufacturing” business even though he was not a pharmacist and did not employ any pharmacists. And Hall never registered Rat’s Army with the FDA as a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility as is required by law.

Some of the drugs were even of similar composition to certain FDA-approved drugs that require special boxed warnings on their labels to emphasize serious potential side effects, including pulmonary embolism. But this was of little concern to Hall. His fraud extended to posting misleading Certificates of Analysis on the Rat’s Army website to convince consumers that the products were legitimate and safe to consume.

In just two years, Hall made almost $4 million in proceeds from insidious and sophisticated criminal scheme. But now he faces the consequences of his criminal actions.

On May 15, 2025, Hall, who previously pleaded guilty to felony violations of Title 21 United States Code 331 – The Introduction of Misbranded Drugs into Interstate Commerce, was sentenced to five years of probation.

“Illegally manufacturing and selling unapproved drugs outside the legitimate U.S. supply chain can present serious health risks to those who buy and use them,” said Justin Green, FDA Associate Commissioner for Criminal Investigations. “Furthermore, knowingly misleading customers and the FDA by making false claims about the nature and legitimacy of the products shows a reckless disregard for FDA regulations and for the lives and well-being of consumers.”

Use of medication products marketed with unproven claims or containing hidden drug ingredients could cause serious health problems. FDA urges consumers to stay informed, know the risks, and prioritize your safety.

Please click here for more information about warnings from FDA on SARMS/SERMS.