A Florida father and his three sons will spend years in prison after they were convicted of fraud for selling bleach as a cure for COVID-19.
Mark Grenon, 66, and son Joseph Grenon, 36, who fled to Colombia after the federal government first announced charges against them, were each sentenced to five years in prison – the maximum sentence agreed between the US and the South American country on extradition couple.
Mark Grenon’s two other sons, Jonathan Grenon, 37, and Jordan Grenon, 29, were each sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for conspiracy and contempt for attempting to “defraud the United States by trafficking in unapproved and misbranded drugs,” the DOJ wrote in news broadcast.
They were all ordered to pay almost $2,000 in restitution each.
“The defendant preyed on many vulnerable populations,” Assistant US Attorney Michael Homer said at the sentencing hearing.
The patriarch argued with the judge that he was actually a victim because he had spent 1,152 days in prison.
The Grenon family allegedly refused to stop making MMS despite government orders to do so. Church of Health and Healing Genesis II
The elder Grenon accused the government of “kidnapping” him, according to the Miami Herald.
He is asking the US to pay him $5.76 million in compensation for being “unlawfully detained.”
When asked if he would be awarded a large sum, the judge told him it was a “nonsense question” and he would not “answer it.”
The Grenons represented themselves at their summer trial.
Jonathan, a father of five himself, argued he had spent enough time in custody and should be “released for [his] family.”
Mark Grenon, 66, and son Joseph Grenon, 36, received five years on Friday – the maximum agreed between the US and Colombia for extradition. The two men fled to the South American country after the federal government announced charges against them. Físcalia General de Colombia
“I have lost everything,” he said, according to the Miami Herald.
His brothers made similar claims, but all were denied.
The Grenon family sells “Miracle Mineral Solution” (MMS), a chemical solution that will turn into bleach after being ingested orally.
The solution is commonly used to treat industrial water and for bleaching, textiles, pulp and paper, the DOJ said.
“The Grenons claim that taking MMS can treat, prevent and cure COVID-19,” the Department of Justice said.
The other two sons, Jonathan Grenon, 37, and Jordan Grenon, 29, were sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for conspiracy and contempt for trying to “defraud the United States by trafficking in unapproved and misbranded drugs,” the DOJ said. ABC
“The FDA, however, has not approved MMS for the treatment of COVID-19, or for any other use.”
The family, of Bradenton, Fla., sold fake COVID-19 medicine from the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing – a fake synagogue they created to “evade MMS government regulations,” authorities said.
They were all ordered to pay nearly $2,000 in restitution each. Genesis II Church of Health and Healing
They also claim that MMS can cure 95% of diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, AIDS and more.
In order for patients to get MMS, they had to make a donation to Genesis, which was set at a certain amount – acting as the selling price – which resulted in the clan earning more than $1 million.
The government, at one point, obtained a court order to stop production of the counterfeit drug, but the Grenon family “willfully violated that court order and continued to distribute MMS,” the DOJ said.
The family threatened to “take up arms” and incite “Waco” if the government enforced the shutdown.
Prosecutors accused the family of never showing remorse for their actions.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
