Current：Home > FinanceUtah man posing as doctor selling fake COVID-19 cure arrested after three-year manhunt -Wealth Harmony Labs
Utah man posing as doctor selling fake COVID-19 cure arrested after three-year manhunt
Ethermac View
Date：2025-04-08 07:12:07
A 63-year-old man was arrested in Utah years after he was charged with crimes related to selling a fake cure for the coronavirus, officials said Monday.
According to court documents, Gordon Hunter Pedersen, 63, sold a "structural alkaline silver" product online that he allegedly said "resonates or vibrates at a frequency that destroys the membrane of the (COVID-19) virus, making the virus incapable" of infecting someone. Pedersen also claimed to be an "anti-aging medical doctor" with PhD degrees in immunology and naturopathic medicine, according to the documents.
A civil restraining order issued in 2020 stopped Pedersen's ability to sell the products, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release from that year. He was also indicted in federal court on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud and felony introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead, the United State's Attorney's Office District of Utah said in a news release.
A warrant for Pedersen's arrest was issued in August 2020, when he failed to appear in federal court for the indictment. A three-year manhunt ensued, ending this summer when Pedersen was spotted by federal agents on July 5, 2023.
He was arrested in Utah County, officials said. The news release, shared on Monday, did not say when he was arrested or how he was taken into custody.
Pedersen, of Cedar Hills, Utah, is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.
Others who sold fake coronavirus cures have also faced charges.
In July 2023, a Florida man and his three sons were convicted of using their online church to sell a toxic industrial bleach as a fake COVID-19 cure. The four men were found guilty of conspiring to defraud the United States and deliver misbranded drugs, according to court records, and will be sentenced in October.
In 2021, the U.S. Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to prevent and prosecute such frauds.
- In:
- Fraud
- United States Department of Justice
- Utah
- Coronavirus
Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.
veryGood！ (3)
Related
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Putin opponent offers hope to thousands, although few expect him to win Russian election
- Justin Timberlake says album is coming in March, drops 'Selfish' music video: Watch
- Tennessee GOP leaders see no issue with state’s voting-rights restoration system
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- With beds scarce and winter bearing down, a tent camp grows outside NYC’s largest migrant shelter
- Salty: Tea advice from American chemist seeking the 'perfect' cup ignites British debate
- Apple will open iPhone to alternative app stores, lower fees in Europe to comply with regulations
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- EPA: Cancer-causing chemicals found in soil at north Louisiana apartment complex
Ranking
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Queer Eye’s Bobby Berk Sets the Record Straight on Feud With Costar Tan France
- Facebook parent Meta picks Indiana for a new $800 million data center
- US warned Iran that ISIS-K was preparing attack ahead of deadly Kerman blasts, a US official says
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Who is Jelly Roll? A look at his journey from prison to best new artist Grammy nominee
- Puerto Rico averts strike at biggest public health institution after reaching a deal with workers
- JN.1 takes over as the most prevalent COVID-19 variant. Here's what you need to know
Recommendation
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
Colman Domingo cast to portray Joe Jackson in upcoming Michael Jackson biopic
Mislabeled cookies containing peanuts sold in Connecticut recalled after death of New York woman
Jackson, McCaffrey, Prescott, Purdy, Allen named NFL MVP finalists
'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
Ring will no longer allow police to request users' doorbell camera footage
A new, smaller caravan of about 1,500 migrants sets out walking north from southern Mexico
Lights, Camera, Oscars: Your guide to nominated movies and where to watch them