Enzyte's 'Smiling Bob' infomercial sold a supplement — and its maker ended up in prison

Enzyte, a sexual-performance supplement made by Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals of Forest Park, Ohio, was pitched through a long-running infomercial built around 'Smiling Bob' — a goofy, grinning man whose life dramatically improves once he starts taking the product.

The advertising was the fraud. Prosecutors said the company billed customers out of roughly $100 million through deceptive ads, manipulated credit card transactions, and a refusal to accept returns or cancel orders. On February 22, 2008 a federal jury in Cincinnati convicted founder Steve Warshak of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, bank fraud and money laundering; his mother was convicted on related charges.

In August 2008 Warshak was sentenced to 25 years in prison and fined $93,000, with the court noting he had 'preyed on customers' sexual deficiencies'. The company was also ordered to disgorge hundreds of millions of dollars in profits. An advertising campaign that worked too well had made its own maker the target of a federal fraud case.