(CNN) — A federal jury in Miami on Wednesday found a circle of Florida relatives guilty of defrauding the United States by distributing a poisonous bleaching agent as a cure for covid-19, according to court records.
Mark Grenon and his sons, Jonathan, Jordan and Joseph Grenon, were convicted of selling and selling “Miracle Mineral Solution,” which “when mixed, becomes a harmful bleaching agent that has serious and life-threatening side effects,” according to the FDA, which issued a warning about the product in 2019.
The solution consists of sodium chlorite and water, according to court records. The Grenons asked consumers to combine the solution with an “acid activator,” which produces chlorine dioxide, “a strong bleaching agent used to bleach and pickle textiles, pulp and paper. “
According to the thief’s complaint, the Grenons claimed that the “miracle mineral solution” was a “silver bullet,” which can not only treat, save and cure covid-19, but also “a variety of serious diseases and disorders, in addition to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, malaria, Parkinson’s disease, sclerosis and HIV/AIDS. “They indicated that the solution can only be used to treat adults and children.
The circle of family members convicted of defrauding the United States and its agencies, distributing an unapproved new drug, and distributing a mislabeled drug.
After the Grenons began selling the solution as a cure for covid-19 in March 2020, bank statements show they “received approximately $123,000 in MMS-related monthly revenue, a nearly 400% increase in sales,” the complaint states. Over the past year, they have raised about $500,000 in sales from Miracle Mineral Solution, according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, to evade government regulation, the circle of relatives sold the solution under the guise of “Genesis II Church of Health and Healing. “The Grenons said in an interview that they founded Genesis, described as “a non-religious church,” to evade legal regulations related to the Miracle Mineral Solution, according to the complaint.
Court records showed the men opted to constitute themselves at the trial and “refused to answer” when asked if they wanted an attorney appointed. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 6, 2023, according to the court filing.