Will Eli Lilly Sue DonutNV Franchisee Mike Malagon?
Big Pharma powerhouse Eli Lilly is rallying a broad effort to shut down the illegal black market sale of unapproved, illegal GLP-1 peptides by sellers like Florida DonutNV franchisee Mike Malagon and his Ryder Research website. When we warned DonutNV Franchising Inc. about this threat to their brand and their embattled reputation, they had their law firm threaten US with legal action. by Sean Kelly, Founder,Truth for Veterans, Truth for All Initiative.
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) According to Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical giant has “escalated its continued fight to protect patients from the dangerous black market for retatrutide, filing six new lawsuits against U.S. entities selling black-market products in addition to having referred hundreds of bad actors to regulators and law enforcement worldwide.”
In May, 2026, the UnhappyFranchisee.Com watchdog website alerted DonutNV Franchising Inc. that its Fort Myers franchise owner, Michael Malagon, was promoting the use and sale of illegal peptides, including an illegal substance being called Retatrutide, on the same Facebook page he promoted DonutNV donuts to elementary schools and students.
Malagon openly operates Ryder Research, which promotes and sells illegal pharmaceuticals not approved for human or veterinary use. Malagon also promotes an affiliate program that enables others to sell the substances for a commission.
Instead of a thank you note and responsible action, DonutNV Franchising had its law firm threaten the Unhappy Franchisee website and its publisher with legal action for calling the drug dealing Malagon a “drug dealer.”
Alex Gingold & Mike Malagon Have Formed EAST COAST CONCESSIONS LLC
Since being notified of Malagon’s illicit activity, the Clermont, Florida-based franchise seller appears to have doubled down on its relationship with Ryder Research operator Michael Malagon.
According to the Florida Department of Corporations, DonutNV founder Alex Gingold formed East Coast Concessions LLC on June 25, 2026. The new LLC has the same corporate address as DonutNV Franchising Inc. (431 CITRUS TOWER BLVD CLERMONT, FL 3471)
Both Alex Gingold and Michael Malagon bear the title AMBR (Authorized Member).
An “Authorized Member” is both an owner of the LLC and has the legal authority to manage its daily affairs. They are legally empowered to sign contracts, execute legal documents, and make decisions on behalf of the business.
Michael Malagon Has Reportedly Expanded His DonutNV Sales Area to Include Miami
In an August 2, 2026 company press release, DonutNV announced its expansion into Miami and South Florida. Sources report that Malagon’s territory has been expanded from Fort Myers to include Miami and South Florida.
In correspondence related to the registration of East Coast Concessions LLC, Mike Malagon used the “miami@donutnv.com email address.
Not only has DonutNV Franchising Inc. refused to enforce its right to terminate a franchisee for illegal conduct that puts the brand at risk, they have allowed him to continue to tie his drug business to his franchise business with his DonutNV promo photo on Mike’s Pep Talk website.
Malagon’s Ryder Research Website Continues to Promote & Sell an Unapproved Substance it Calls “Retatrutide”
While retatrutide is the nonproprietary name (International Nonproprietary Name) designated for the molecule, Eli Lilly holds the underlying patents, proprietary rights, and commercial interests for the compound.
Eli Lilly actively enforces its intellectual property rights and trademark protections against unauthorized vendors, compounding pharmacies, and black-market sellers marketing unapproved products using the retatrutide name.
Apparently, Eli Lilly actively takes action to protect the value of its brand, its reputation and its shareholder value.
Eli Lilly Declares War on Illegal Retatrutide Sellers Like DonutNV’s Mike Malagon
In addition to filing six new lawsuits against U.S entities selling black-market products, an Eli Lilly press release states that the company has “referred hundreds of bad actors to regulators and law enforcement worldwide. Lilly is also calling on the entities that sellers use to conduct their illegal business—social media and e-commerce platforms, credit card companies, payment processors and shipping and logistics carriers—to help protect patients and fight this illicit activity.”
Eli Lilly is calling on all involved to their part in stopping dangerous and illegal operations like Mike Malagon’s Ryder Research and Mike’s Pep Talk:
Now, Lilly is calling on others to join the fight for patient safety:
- Drug regulators, customs agencies, law enforcement and other government authorities must treat the sale of unapproved retatrutide as the urgent public health crisis it is, prioritizing enforcement and coordinating across borders to dismantle the criminal networks selling these drugs.
- Social media and e-commerce platforms must stop enabling—and in some cases fueling—this illegal market and must take proactive steps to block this conduct before it reaches consumers.
- Credit card companies, payment processors, shipping and logistics companies, and other entities that sellers use to conduct their illegal businesses must cut off the infrastructure enabling this illegal trade.
- Healthcare providers should raise awareness of the potentially serious risks involved.
- Everyone can help by reporting illegal retatrutide products to law enforcement, drug and pharmacy regulators, and the Lilly Answers Center at 1-800-LillyRx.
Also read:
Is This Top DonutNV Franchisee a Drug Dealer?
Does DonutNV Tolerate Online Drug Sales by Franchisees? Just Not Complaints?
Will Disclaimers Protect DonutNV Franchisee Michael Malagon’s Peptide Sales Scheme?
Ryder Research Peptides Described as “Potentially Life Threatening”
DonutNV Fort Myers Pep Tide Gallery
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Tags: DonutNV, DonutNV franchise, DonutNV lawsuit, DonutNV franchise failures, DonutNV Ft Myers, DonutNV Fort Myers, DonutNV unlawful drugs, Michael Malagon, Mike Malagon, Hayley Malagon, Ryder Research Supply, Peptides, Peptides affiliate program, Alex Gingold, Amanda Gingold, Eli Lilly, Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg, Retatrutide, GLP-1
If you’re “helping franchisees” why are you continuously attacking the ones who are doing well? Just like you did with the LV franchisee. You sat there and almost tried to get them kicked out of schools, now you’re continuously talking about him.
Let’s tell all the franchisees sins. Maybe I should make a blog that speaks on the personal lives of these franchisees and their secrets that show that some of them are doing far worse than selling peptides.
Very interesting you only choose the ones who are doing well to constantly write about as if they’re not just trying to make a living too. You can’t pick and choose when you’re supposedly looking out for franchisees.
Do you think you are defending the DonutNV brand by not objecting to the franchisor’s unfathomably irresponsible reaction to our warning that the Fort Myers franchisee is openly pushing illegal drugs right alongside his promotion of on-site sales and fundraising to schools and schoolchildren?
Consider all of the negative publicity around allegedly deceptive sales and profit representations, the large percentage of franchisees who have exited the system having lost their investments, the franchisor’s continued lawsuit against this publication for sharing franchisees’ complaints, the large number of franchisees pursuing arbitration alleging fraud, the franchisor’s decision to terminate and sue military Veterans and the parents of a sick child…
Now consider their reaction to learning that this one franchisee was jeopardizing the brand, risking its reputation as child-friendly, law-abiding and in compliance with the law and school district policies. And for what? How do other franchisees – especially those in Florida – benefit from Mike Malagon’s drug business? The franchisor’s reaction to this well-intentioned warning was to threaten the whistleblower, expand the drug peddler’s territories, and partner with him on East Coast Concessions?
Eli Lilly is the most valuable pharmaceutical company in the world with a market capitalization of $1 Trillion. They have referred more than 200 peptide sellers to the FDA and the Department of Justice. How confident are you that the Fort Myers and Miami DonutNV franchisee’s Ryder Research isn’t one of them?
Letsdoatellall, I’ve encountered a lot of koolaid drinkers in my time but if you think defending this drug seller is a good idea I’m afraid you might have been sampling Mikey’s Peppy Peptides.
Here’s what a current Eli Lilly press release states:
“The FDA has made clear that sales of unapproved retatrutide to consumers are illegal, that retatrutide cannot be lawfully compounded, and that so-called “research-use only” products “are of unknown quality and may be harmful to [consumers’] health.” Yet black-market sellers and businesses posing as legitimate medical providers openly sell retatrutide as a weight-loss “hack.” These… self-styled suppliers are not practicing medicine; they are selling illegal drugs, frequently made by unregulated foreign manufacturers. Regulators, customs agencies and law enforcement worldwide have warned of the same dangers and acted on them, raiding clandestine manufacturing sites, seizing shipments and arresting those involved.
“Lilly’s lawsuits target U.S. entities selling illegal retatrutide products, including compounding pharmacies, medical spas, and online sellers that falsely claim their drugs are for “research-use only” when they are actually intended for human use. Lilly has also referred more than 200 individuals and entities to FDA, the U.S. Department of Justice, state attorneys general, law enforcement, and professional licensing boards, and is working with global regulators, law enforcement, and customs authorities to stop this illegal market.”
Their defiance of Eli Lilly may prove to be more reckless and self-destructive than suing a blogger who, in 20 years, has never backed down and never lost.
Let’s be clear about the Las Vegas franchise, they are blatantly lying about what they are serving to pass FDA smart snack guidelines while the school system plays dumb all while cashing big kickback checks. The public listed list says they are serving one whole wheat donut. I can guarantee you that is not what they are serving. I don’t see anywhere on their approval that they are allowed to serve lemonade either? They are exploiting a demographic while the school cashes the checks. There is a huge ethical issue here along with touting a “successful” franchise that is not replicable anywhere else. If schools follow the guidelines, DonutNV is not allowed in. As soon as that batter hits the oil, it is a violation of the smart snack guidelines.
Consumer,
Then lets not only pick on donutnv Las Vegas. How many other franchisees are selling at and to schools? If LV isn’t healthy then I’m guessing none of the others are. Why aren’t schools in every state being reached out to and why isn’t every ftanchisee being called out? Ohhh right because LV, Apollo Beach, and Fort Myers are all big money makers and success stories so I guess bashing them online is the next best thing. Which goes back to what I continue to say: the successful franchisees are the ones who are constantly picked on. Example Apollo Beach posts a video of him mouthing a curse word and here we are making a FB post about it.
Funny how this blog is to “help franchisees” yet continuously picks on successful ones. My point stands that even unsuccessful ones are not good people yet because they are aren’t making as much they don’t get articles made about them. Which is fine because everyone’s secrets and wrong doings will come out since that’s what your blog is now about. Seems you’ve forgotten these success stories are also just making a living and instead of crying victim they buckled down and found a way to he successful. Also, let’s be real. Schools are underfunded, I’m okay with my kids eating donuts once a month to bring money to the school, but some people will find a reason to complain no matter what.
Who says Mike Malagon is successful?
Isn’t he the one who bragged about his grand plan to open a brick & mortar drive-through location?
Didn’t he pose for pictures when he signed a real estate deal for the site?
Then… nothing?
Isn’t he the one who publicly thanked a family member for buying him a trailer because the banks and lenders wouldn’t approve financing?
Why couldn’t a successful franchisee get financing for a used trailer?
If his Fort Myers territory is so profitable, why does he have to risk everything by selling drugs “not approved for human or veterinary use”?
One of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world is suing and making examples out of those violating their billion-dollar patents and are putting pressure on the FDA to crush those stupid, greedy and/or desperate enough to openly break the law.
Sites like Malagon’s are getting flagged and being told to cease by the FDA… it’s a matter of time.
It won’t take a lawsuit. If the FDA letter is issued and it’s covered by local news stations, I’d imagine he’ll be in clear violation of his FA, schools will have to justify allowing him on premise, & I imagine his family will be asking: Why is Daddy in the news?”
Telling people on Facebook you’re successful doesn’t make one a success any more than a Donut University certificate makes one a pharmacist, chemist, or doctor.
For fun, ask chatGPT, Gemini or coPilot to explain “Mikey’s Peppy Peptides” Mikey’s famous!
https://youtu.be/sKsDNt6zJBY?si=SqoUIojs14axKx6M