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Paradigm Peptides owner sentenced to 70 months: what happened and what it means for buyers

paradigmpeptides.com · Updated 20 October 2026

Paradigm Peptides sold peptides, hCG and SARMs online from Michigan City, Indiana, through paradigmpeptides.com. The sales covered by the federal case ran from April 2019 to March 2024.

On 30 July 2026 a federal judge in South Bend sentenced the owner, Matthew Kawa, to 70 months in prison. His sister, Jennifer Stechkober, who worked for the business, was sentenced to 16 months. Both had pleaded guilty to introducing unapproved new drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead.

Investigators found that many products sold as SARMs contained testosterone. CBS News reported that the business imported its products from China, India and other countries, and that its lab certificates were forged.

Timeline

  1. April 2019

    The sales period covered by the case begins. The business ships peptides, hCG and SARMs from Michigan City, Indiana.[1][2]

  2. 7 December 2020

    The FDA sends a warning letter to Paradigm RE LLC about a Thymosin Alpha-1 product its website promoted in connection with COVID-19.[5]

  3. March 2024

    The sales period covered by the case ends. CBS News reports the business was shut down that month.[1][4]

  4. 10 December 2025

    Matthew Kawa and Jennifer Stechkober plead guilty. CBS News reports that Kawa also pleaded guilty to illegally importing the products.[1][3][4]

  5. 30 July 2026

    Sentencing: 70 months in prison for Kawa and 16 months for Stechkober, each followed by one year of supervised release, with $78,317.52 in restitution owed jointly and a $5 million money judgment against Kawa.[1][3][4]

What this means for buyers

  • A certificate of analysis is only worth something if the lab that issued it can confirm it. In this case, CBS News reports, Kawa admitted that the business forged its lab certificates. Where a lab offers a report lookup, use it.
  • This page is about the store at paradigmpeptides.com. Other stores use similar names, so check the web address before you pay.
  • If you bought from paradigmpeptides.com between April 2019 and March 2024, the U.S. Attorney's Office says you may or may not be a victim, and asks anyone who believes they are one to call its Victim Witness Specialist. Its case page gives the number.
  • The prices below come from stores in our index. A price listing is not a test of the product.

Sources

  1. 1. United States v. Matthew Kawa. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Indiana, published 3 August 2026.Supports: The business names and website, the April 2019 to March 2024 sales period, the guilty pleas on 10 December 2025, the sentences of 30 July 2026 and the restitution, the finding that many products sold as SARMs contained testosterone, and the contact for buyers from that period.
  2. 2. US v. Matthew Kawa, et al.. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Indiana, published 18 February 2025.Supports: That Paradigm Peptides sold peptides, hCG and SARMs and shipped them from Michigan City, Indiana.
  3. 3. Press release: Illinois man and Indiana woman sentenced to 70 months and 16 months in prison. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Indiana, published 30 July 2026.Supports: The charge both defendants pleaded guilty to, the prison terms, the restitution and the $5 million money judgment against Kawa.
  4. 4. Judge sentences peptide vendor to nearly 6 years in prison for "an incredible trail of harm". CBS News, published 30 July 2026.Supports: The court in South Bend, the imports from China and India, the forged lab certificates, the illegal importation plea, the $5 million forfeiture and the March 2024 shutdown.
  5. 5. Warning letter to Paradigm RE LLC (MARCS-CMS 612014). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, published 7 December 2020.Supports: The December 2020 warning letter about a Thymosin Alpha-1 product promoted in connection with COVID-19.
  6. 6. paradigmpeptides.com homepage, archived copy. Internet Archive, captured 1 April 2023.Supports: The store's catalogue, including BPC-157, TB-500, Thymosin Alpha-1, hCG, Ipamorelin and semaglutide.

Archived copies are from the Internet Archive. This page reports public records and the companies’ own statements, and claims nothing beyond them. If something here is wrong, tell us.

Current prices for these peptides

All six were in the store's catalogue in an archived copy from April 2023. Below are the three cheapest retail listings in our index for each, cheapest per milligram first. Out-of-stock listings and prices under review are left out, and so is Paradigm Peptides.

BPC-157

Compare all 737 retail prices
  1. 1. Wholesale Peptides Company$10.14 for 10 mg$1.01/mg
  2. 2. Amino Annex$43.00 for 40 mg$1.07/mg
  3. 3. PeptiNova$115 for 100 mg$1.15/mg

TB-500

Compare all 631 retail prices
  1. 1. Grey Matters Research$18.00 for 10 mg$1.80/mg
  2. 2. The PepLair$20.00 for 10 mg$2.00/mg
  3. 3. Alamo Peptides$44.99 for 20 mg$2.25/mg

Thymosin Alpha-1

Compare all 403 retail prices
  1. 1. Biohacker Direct$183 for 100 mg$1.83/mg
  2. 2. The PepLair$22.00 for 10 mg$2.20/mg
  3. 3. Peptides For Less$22.95 for 10 mg$2.29/mg

Ipamorelin

Compare all 575 retail prices
  1. 1. Wholesale Peptides Company$12.57 for 10 mg$1.26/mg
  2. 2. Divine Bougie$16.00 for 10 mg$1.60/mg
  3. 3. Grey Matters Research$18.00 for 10 mg$1.80/mg

Semaglutide

Compare all 319 retail prices
  1. 1. Peptaire Labs$35.00 for 30 mg$1.17/mg
  2. 2. Maple Labs$13.00 for 10 mg$1.30/mg
  3. 3. Renova Peptides$40.00 for 30 mg$1.33/mg