Utah man accused of selling silver product as COVID-19 miracle cure arrested
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After a three-year chase to find a Utah man who posed as a medical doctor to sell hoax cures for diseases, including COVID-19, has ended in felony charges for a Cedar Hills resident.
Gordon Hunter Pedersen sold a "structural alkaline silver" product online as a preventative cure for COVID-19 early in the pandemic, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah said in a statement. He also claimed in YouTube videos to be a board-certified “Anti-Aging Medical Doctor” with a Ph.D. in immunology and naturopathic medicine, according to the release, while donning a white lab coat and stethoscope in his online presence.
An arrest warrant for Pedersen, 63, was issued in August 2020 after he failed to appear in federal court on an indictment. He was caught earlier this month by federal agents "during surveillance," officials said.
Claiming his miracle medication prevented COVID-19 and other diseases, Pedersen claimed in YouTube videos to be a board-certified doctor and to have PhDs in immunology and naturopathic medicine.
More: Utah health officials urge vaccination as flu, COVID-19 rates rise
The indictment charges Pedersen with mail fraud, wire fraud, and felony introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead.
Pedersen's schemes started around 2014, according to the indictment. He sold silver products as a treatment for arthritis, diabetes, influenza, pneumonia, and, more recently, COVID-19, the indictment added. He was caught in April 2020, when the hoax treatments were shipped to a Food and Drug Administration undercover agent using an alias.
The products were sold through his company, GP Silver LLC, and My Doctor Suggests LLC, of which he owned 25%.
In a podcast interview in March 2020, Pedersen claimed his product destroyed bacteria, viruses, and yeast all at once, adding that "there is no drug that man has made that can do the same," according to the indictment.
Pedersen was scheduled for his initial appearance at a detention hearing Tuesday.
The criminal action is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob J. Strain and Brian Williams from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Speare Hodges and Sarah Williams from the Department of Justice, Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. James Smith from FDA’s Office of Chief Council is also assisting.
Scammers exploited COVID-19 pandemic in variety of fraud schemes
During a pandemic that would go on to take more than one million lives across the nation, fraudsters took to a variety of schemes to profit off the disease, including federal COVID-19 relief fund scams, hoax vaccines, sham test sites, and more.
In 2020, the Justice Department directed all 94 U.S. attorneys to appoint a coordinator for virus-fraud cases in their districts, as federal law enforcement agencies received tens of thousands of fraud complaints related to the pandemic. By Jan. 2021, more than 100 cases had already been prosecuted.
Last month, a church founder and his three sons stood trial at a Miami federal court for selling a bleach mixture as a medical cure. The family was accused of selling more than $1 million of a toxic "Miracle Mineral Solution," or MMS, which they claimed could cure almost any ailment, including COVID-19, Alzheimer’s, and malaria, according to the criminal complaint.
How to protect yourself from fraudsters
The Federal Trade Commission recommends the following to protect yourself from hoax medical claims around COVID-19:
Always talk with your doctor or healthcare professional before trying any product claiming to treat, prevent or cure coronavirus.
Go to verified sources for medical treatment updates like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or FDA.
Suspected fraud can be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Contributing: USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Utah man accused of selling fake COVID-19 miracle cure arrested
