Correction: Paradigm Peptides and the federal case

An earlier version of this page, published in May 2026, made statements about the federal criminal case involving Paradigm Peptides that were inaccurate. Those statements have been removed. This page exists to record the correction.

What was wrong

The earlier version stated that Matthew Kawa was sentenced on March 24, 2026, and attributed that date to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana. That date was incorrect and no such press release supported it.

It described both Matthew Kawa and Jennifer Stechkober as owners of the business. It also asserted that they were legally barred from returning to the industry, and it presented the closure of Paradigm Peptides as a consequence of the criminal charges. None of those statements were accurate.

The accurate record

Matthew Kawa and Jennifer Stechkober pleaded guilty on December 10, 2025. They were sentenced on July 30, 2026, before Judge Cristal C. Brisco in South Bend, Indiana. Matthew Kawa received 70 months in federal prison and agreed to forfeit $5 million. Jennifer Stechkober received 16 months. Matthew Kawa was the owner of the business; Jennifer Stechkober was an employee.

Paradigm Peptides stopped selling around March 2024, approximately 21 months before the guilty pleas. Its closure was not a consequence of the charges.

We make no assertion about what either individual may lawfully do in the future.

Sources

U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana, case records for United States v. Matthew Kawa. Sentencing details as reported July 30, 2026. Readers should consult the primary court record rather than relying on this summary.

This correction was published on September 24, 2026. It replaces the earlier content at this address in full.