On Friday, a family in Florida was convicted to federal prison for more than 12 years for selling dangerous drugs and claiming it is the remedy for COVID-19, containing a toxic industrial bleach.
Jonathan Grenon, 37, Jordan Grenon, 29, Joseph Grenon, 36, and Mark Grenon, 66, were found guilty of conspiring to defraud the United States by distributing an illegal and mislabeled medication, the Department of Justice confirmed.
The Grenon's Family Scheme
The Grenon Family sold $1 million worth of their "Mineral Miracle Solution," which was claimed to be a cure for COVID-19.
The mislabeled drugs were sold under the disguise of a church group called Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, federal prosecutors confirmed to ABC News.
The "Mineral Miracle Solution" (MMS) is composed of sodium chlorite and water. The family attracted victims by promoting their drugs to cure 95% of known disorders, such as COVID-19, Alzheimer's, autism, brain cancer, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis.
It was revealed that the US Food and Drug Administration did not even approve MMS to be in the market as a treatment for COVID-19 and other diseases that the Grenons have proclaimed.
The prosecutors showed the jury images and video of hundreds of blue chemical barrels filled to the brim with roughly 10,000 pounds of sodium chlorite powder found in Jonathan Grenon's backyard in Bradenton during his trial.
The labels on the drums warned consumers not to ingest the substance because it was poisonous. The drugs were proven to have hazardous effects when taken.
Food and Drug Administration Recognized Symptoms
According to the DOJ, when MMS was orally taken, it transformed into chlorine dioxide, a potent bleach used for bleaching pulp, paper, and textiles. The main MMS component had warning signs stating the substance was poisonous, explosive, and extremely risky to consume.
"The FDA has received reports of consumers who have suffered from severe vomiting, severe diarrhea, life-threatening low blood pressure caused by dehydration, and acute liver failure after drinking these products," the FDA said.
The FDA warned about the intake of MMS way back in 2010, wherein the MMS caused severe response. The worst cases of taking MMS lead to people's death and poses life-threatening conditions.
The Grenons denied their wrongdoings during the trial by telling the prosecutors that the revenue from selling MMS was for church donations to avoid going to jail. They threatened to use force against the sitting judge and vowed to return with another lie. The church was found not to be related to any religious affiliations.
The attainment of the arrest of the Grenon Family was assisted by the Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attachés of the Justice Department in Bogota, Colombia. Additionally, they are dealing with Mark and Joseph Grenon's deportation.
The federal government sued the Grenons and Genesis II Church of Health and Healing. The DOJ summarized Jonathan and Jordan's case under fraud of mislabeled medication.
