When Justin Watkins received the popular peptides he got from overseas, they arrived in boxes that appeared to have Chinese and English lettering, prosecutors say, packed with blank, unmarked bottles and vials.

Before providing the pills and injectables to patients, he added his own labels — but his creations violated federal law because they didn’t disclose the name and location of the manufacturer, packer or distributor, new charges against him allege.

Peptides have gone viral as “looksmaxxing” and longevity influencers — and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — have promoted their supposed health benefits. Peptides are combinations of amino acids that help with the body’s processes, such as immune response and tissue repair.

Health professionals disagree on their effectiveness, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned that many of their alleged benefits have not been proven.

They’re hard for consumers to get, because some American pharmacies can’t produce them under a 2023 determination from the FDA. Last week, The New York Times reported the agency is expected to reverse course on that previous decision.

Watkins’ solution, prosecutors allege, was to order peptides from China — without telling patients where they came from and without cautioning them that the medication wasn’t approved by the FDA.

Watkins, 39, was providing holistic care at TruHealth Clinic, which he owns in Pleasant View, and at a satellite office at Full Circle Wellness Center in Brigham City, according to the April 1 indictment.

Prosecutors say that between February 2024 and April 2025, Watkins obtained and sold the misbranded peptides to over 200 patients who were “trusting and relying upon [his] medical experience, expertise, and guidance to provide them with cheaper but safe drugs.”

TruHealth Clinic is aware of the indictment, it said in a statement, adding that it could not comment on specific allegations due to the ongoing proceedings. The clinic said its priority is to continue to provide high-quality care to patients while supporting its staff and community.

“Dr. Watkins has dedicated his career to providing thorough, patient-focused medical care, and his patients consistently recognize him for the time, compassion, and attention he gives to their health,” TruHealth said in the statement. “Since the news became public, the clinic has received an overwhelming number of messages from patients expressing support and sharing how much they value the care they have received from Dr. Watkins.”

Jess Anderson, owner of Full Circle Wellness Center, said she was unaware of the indictment until she was contacted by The Salt Lake Tribune. She added that all practitioners at Full Circle run their own enterprises, and Watkins’ TruHealth Clinic rented space there.

Watkins’ attorney declined to comment on the indictment, which includes eight counts of receipt in interstate commerce and delivery of misbranded drugs for pay, with intent to defraud or mislead. It also accuses Watkins of aiding and abetting, and seeks the forfeiture of any proceeds from his alleged scheme to defraud patients.

State licensers have banned Watkins from dispensing peptides — or ketamine, or any other controlled substances — to patients. He can continue to practice as an osteopathic doctor and surgeon while he is on probation for three years.

Watkins’ biographies on websites for TruHealth and MountainStar Healthcare say he completed a residency in family medicine in Montana before returning home to Utah, where he strives to provide “exceptional care to his patients.”

Getting ‘deeply discounted’ drugs

Watkins’ holistic care treatments include mind and body healing, ketamine treatments for mental illness and chronic pain, hormone replacement therapy and weight-loss management, the indictment said. He also practices family medicine at the Medical Arts Center Clinic of Brigham City.

When patients sought to lose weight, prosecutors say, Watkins prescribed drugs such as Tirzepatide and Semaglutide, along with other peptides to treat inflammation and autoimmune conditions. Watkins prescribed the drugs at both TruHealth and Full Circle Wellness, according to Melanie Hall, a spokesperson at the Utah Division of Professional Licensing.

Prosecutors allege Watkins arranged for a business partner to order the drugs over the internet. That partner purchased the medication from China at a “deeply discounted price,” and Watkins knew they were not backed by “proper, reliable testing,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Hall said the state division has worked with the FDA to reach out to patients who may have taken the Chinese medications. She added that the division’s investigation has “relied heavily” on a thorough investigation of medical records.

Watkins provided patients with a consent form that noted the FDA may view the drugs as “unnecessary,” according to charging documents, but the form did not list the medications’ manufacturer or distributor.

He also failed to take a comprehensive medical history from some patients before recommending the drugs, and clients were often given the medications “without any careful patient monitoring protocols in place,” prosecutors allege.

Watkins’ medical license ‘exposed’

In April 2025, Watkins met with his business partner and told them they needed to create a limited liability company to “distance” the drugs from Watkins and his medical license, according to the indictment. The doctor said the new company would continue purchasing the drugs and sell them directly to Watkins’ patients, prosecutors allege.

Watkins told the partner that “everything was aboveboard,” but that he was “exposed because he had a medical license,” according to the indictment. The partner declined Watkins’ request to form an LLC and ended the business relationship shortly after, prosecutors say.

If Watkins is convicted of the federal charges, he could face up to three years in prison and an additional $10,000 fine.

Watkins’ license as an osteopathic physician and surgeon is currently active but on probation, according to records from the Division of Professional Licensing, based on the division’s findings of unlawful and unprofessional conduct by Watkins.

Investigators from the state also found that Watkins did not maintain adequate inventory records when he gave patients ketamine, a controlled substance.

An agreement between Watkins and the licensing division issued last month requires him to remain on probation for three years and to pay a fine of $15,000 within six months.

It also requires Watkins to surrender his license to operate a pharmacy. Instead, according to the agreement, all prescribed medications for his patients must be dispensed through a Utah-licensed pharmacy.