Cheshire man jailed for selling toxic ‘diet pills’ on black market

Cheshire man jailed for selling toxic ‘diet pills’ on black market


Jack Finney illegally sold DNP on the dark web to people across Europe and America.

A 25-year-old man who sold highly toxic industrial chemicals disguised as ‘diet pills’ has been handed a prison sentence. Jack Finney, of Northwich, Cheshire, illegally sold 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) on the dark web to people across Europe and America between June 2017 and July 2020Often marketed as a slimming or weight loss aid, DNP is poisonous to humans and has resulted in 33 deaths across the UK to date.

Mr Finney was caught during an investigation by the Food Standards Agency National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) and supported by Cheshire Police, UK Border Force, West Midlands Cyber Crime, the United States Food and Drugs Administration and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

The substances found at a property where Finney lived.
The substances found at a property where Finney lived.

He was sentenced at Chester Crown Court and was handed a 28-month prison sentence.

Catherine A Hermsen, US food and drug administration assistant commissioner for criminal investigations said: “Selling dangerous unapproved drugs, disguised as dietary supplements, can cause serious harm to those who buy and use the drugs and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who jeopardize the public’s health.”

The Food Standards Agency is calling for anyone who has information on those selling DNP for human consumption to contact the National Food Crime Unit at foodcrime@food.gov.uk or call Food Crime Confidential on 0207 276 8787.