A father and his three sons sold chlorine dioxide, an industrial bleaching agent, as "Miracle Mineral Solution" through their "Genesis II Church of Health and Healing". They claimed that it could cure 95% of all known diseases, including HIV, cancer, and COVID. They are representing themselves in court and declined to give an opening statement, which the article notes as "an unusual legal tactic".

  • geese_feces [comrade/them, love/loves]
    hexagon
    ·
    1 year ago

    update: https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/10/florida-men-sentenced-to-years-in-prison-for-selling-bleach-as-miracle-cure/

    Father Mark Grenon, 66—the patriarch of the so-called "Church of Bleach"—and one of his sons, Joseph Grenon, 36, were sentenced to 60 months in prison (five years). That's the statutory maximum sentence for their conviction of conspiring to defraud the US by distributing an unapproved and misbranded drug.

    Jonathan Grenon, 37, and Jordan Grenon, 29, received longer sentences of 151 months in prison (12 years and seven months), because they were convicted of contempt of court as well as conspiring to defraud the US.

    When federal authorities first filed charges against the Grenons in 2020, the Grenons sent letters threatening a federal judge and warned they would "pick up guns" and stage "a Waco."

    Throughout the trial, the Grenons represented themselves but did not speak in their defense, seemingly as a form of protest. They had court-appointed defense attorneys who stood by during the trial, but the Grenons did not allow them to speak for them.

    The Herald reported that the men broke their silence during sentencing last week to plead for mercy and protest their prison terms.

    Father Mark Grenon reportedly argued to the judge that he was a victim in the case and that his three years in custody so far amounted to "kidnapping." As such, he said the US government owed him compensation of $5.76 million for being "held unlawfully."

    He apparently put the deal to the judge, asking "yes or no?" US District Judge Cecilia Altonaga called it a "nonsensical question," and said, "I won’t answer that."

    The three sons, meanwhile, said they did not "consent" to the judicial proceedings and claimed their time in custody was already enough.