Brad Snyder, 47, of Marlton was arrested Tuesday, accused of making a counterfeit version of a product called GutConnect 365, made by a subsidiary of Nestle.
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"He would print labels that mimic the product. He would put materials in there that mimic the product," said Chief Walt Miller of the Evesham Township Police Department. "He would heat seal them so it looked like they were produced in a factory."
Police say the suspect was putting things like cinnamon and sugar in a jar and passing it off as a high-end health supplement.
Police say Snyder began the operation in November 2021 and defrauded people out of $130,000, using the business names Apexx and Miracle Tonics on Amazon.
Police executed search warrants at his home and at a public storage facility in Marlton.
He's now charged with theft by deception, counterfeiting and the use of a computer for criminal activity.
"That's upsetting to hear," said Lynn Thompson of Marlton. "That someone would do something like that. But in this world that we live in nowadays we have to keep our eyes open."
Police say the investigation began because of customer complaints.
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"Nestle began investigating. They notified Amazon that their products were being counterfeited and then Amazon notified law enforcement," said Miller.
We spoke with an expert from the nonprofit Consumer Reports who says buying products like this online can be risky.
"When you're shopping online for dietary supplements, you're at a little bit of a disadvantage because you can't physically inspect the product," said Chuck Bell. "So I think in general it's probably safer to buy them at retail stores."
Snyder is in the Burlington County Jail.
An Amazon spokesperson released the following statement:
"Amazon has a zero tolerance policy for counterfeit products. We have proactive measures in place to prevent counterfeits from being listed and continuously monitor our store. If we identify an issue, we act quickly to protect customers and brands, including removing counterfeit listings and blocking accounts. In this case, Amazon and the impacted brand notified law enforcement of the suspected illicit activity through a joint criminal referral, which led to the investigation and ultimately the arrest of the bad actor and seizure of counterfeit products. We are grateful for the collaboration with law enforcement to bring this bad actor to justice. We will continue to collaborate with brands and law enforcement to protect our customers from bad actors attempting to abuse our store."