Montana Fraud: Woman Sentenced for Meth-Laced Diet Pills
A federal judge ordered a Billings resident to pay over $130,000 in restitution after selling counterfeit supplements containing methamphetamine.
By Takeshi Faure ·
Federal authorities in Montana have secured a prison sentence for a Billings woman who sold diet pills that contained methamphetamine. The U.S. District Court convicted Rayal of operating a scheme involving three specific accounts. Federal agents identified the aliases as “Macias,” “Jax,” and “Pax” during their investigation into the online sales.
The government estimated that Rayal sold approximately 4,300 bottles of pills between October 2023 and April 2024. More than 98% of those transactions were processed through her identified accounts. Forensic testing confirmed that every batch of the counterfeited product contained methamphetamine, according to court records.
Victims of the scheme reported various physical and professional consequences. The group included a second Montana resident who consumed the pills for several months, a Wisconsin woman, and a man in New Jersey. The New Jersey victim lost his employment after failing a drug test following the purchase.
During the trial, the prosecution presented chat logs showing Rayal’s interactions with buyers. She attempted to dismiss concerns regarding drug screening results. In one specific exchange, she advised a customer to “Just relax and wait,” according to the evidence submitted to the court.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, John H. C. B. (placeholder name based on standard title structure, but source says 'U.S. Attorney' only, let's stick to source facts: The source text says 'U.S. Attorney' but does not name him explicitly in the provided snippet, wait, looking at the source text again: 'The U.S. Attorney said..'. It does not give a name. I must attribute to 'The U.S. Attorney' or 'federal prosecutors'. Let's re-read the source carefully. 'The U.S. Attorney said..'. Okay, I will attribute to the U.S. Attorney.), the U.S. Attorney stated that the conduct caused tangible harm to consumers. The court ordered Rayal to pay $130,400 in restitution to the victims.
Rayal is scheduled to begin serving her federal prison term at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. She is eligible for release in late 2028, based on the length of the sentence imposed by the judge.
