- A Florida family was indicted for selling bleach, claiming it was the cure for COVID-19.
- Mark Grenon, 62, and his sons were charged two counts of criminal contempt and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud, the DOJ said.
- The Grenons are facing life behind bars if found guilty, according to the DOJ.
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A Florida family was indicted for selling industrial bleach and promoting it to be the cure COVID-19 and other medical conditions, including cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS, according to the Department of Justice.
According to the DOJ press release, Mark Grenon, 62, and his sons Jordan, Jonathan, and Joesph are charged with two counts of criminal contempt and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud against the US. They are accused of selling "Miracle Mineral Solution," MMS, suggesting that ingesting the product – that was not FDA approved -would prevent and cure COVID, the DOJ said.
"MMS is a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water which, when ingested orally, became chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper," the press release said.
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has not licensed MMS as a treatment for any illness, and in 2019 was compelled to renew its warning against taking the substance after a spike in the number of people reported to be taking it. The FDA warns that MMS causes severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure, and in large doses can be fatal, Insider's Tom Porter previously reported.
The Grenons are accused of selling the product while posing online as a "non-religious church" called "Genesis II Church of Health and Healing " to avoid getting caught and to "legalize the use of MMS," according to the DOJ. The DOJ said the family was able to distribute the product nationwide and racked up more than $1 million for selling the fraudulent cure.
The press release says that the family also previously violated orders from the court that told them to stop selling MMS, but they failed to comply.
"According to charging documents, the Grenons willfully violated those court orders and continued to distribute MMS.," the press release states. "The Grenons also allegedly threatened the federal judge presiding over the civil case, and threatened that, should the government attempt to enforce the court orders halting their distribution of MMS, the Grenons would 'pick up guns' and instigate 'a Waco.'"
If found guilty, the family could face life behind bars, according to the DOJ.