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A Utah business owner is accused of pushing silver products that he falsely claimed prevented and treated the novel coronavirus, according to a civil complaint filed Monday.
The complaint prompted a federal court in Utah to issue a temporary restraining order against defendants Gordon Pedersen of Cedar Hills, Utah, and his companies My Doctor Suggests LLC and GP Silver LLC.
Gordon Pedersen is accused of peddling false products as cures against the coronavirus. (Facebook)
Through his companies, Pedersen allegedly devised a scheme in early 2020 to defraud U.S. consumers by promoting and selling silver products that supposedly worked as a cure-all against COVID-19, the Justice Department said Wednesday, citing the complaint.
Among the company’s alleged promotions was a claim that silver in the bloodstream will “usher” any coronavirus out of the body. Another was a claim that Alkaline Structured Silver will destroy the coronavirus and once in the bloodstream, silver nanoparticles can block the virus from attaching to their cells, and thus “prevent the disease totally and completely.”
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“The Department of Justice will take swift action to protect consumers from those who would recklessly exploit this public health crisis by offering phony cure-alls for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We work closely with our partners at the Food and Drug Administration and will move quickly to shut down schemes that promote and sell unlawful products during this pandemic.”
The court’s restraining order prohibits the companies from selling or distributing their products as a supposed remedy for the coronavirus. Another court order temporarily freezes the defendants’ assets.
A hearing on the government’s request for a preliminary injunction is set for May 12, 2020, the Justice Department said.
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Fox News has reached out to Pedersen’s publicist. It was not immediately clear if he has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf.
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