Prosecutors beat a Republican state legislature in Missouri on more than a dozen charges after saying she administered what she claimed was a cure for the coronavirus, which turned out to be false.
Patricia Ashton Derges, 63, faces 20 criminal charges, including electronic fraud and distribution via the Internet without a valid prescription for the promotion of alleged stem cell treatment marketed at her clinics in southern Missouri, according to a federal prosecution. that was not sealed and reported by the Washington Post.
“This defendant abused her privileged position to get rich through deception,” US Attorney Tim Garrison said in an announcement of the charges on Monday. “The prosecution alleges that she lied to her patients and federal agents. As an elected official and provider of health services, she deserves to be considered a high standard. This accusation by the grand jury exposes her mistake and holds her accountable for her actions. “
Derges was elected to the Missouri state chamber in November.
Prosecutors said an investigation into the lawmaker began as a result of false or misleading statements she made in April 2020 to a local television station about her “potential use of stem cells to treat COVID-19.”
The federal prosecution charges Derges with eight counts of electronic fraud related to five victims, prosecutors said. The victims were among those who lost an estimated total of $ 200,000 in the fraud scheme. Derges is not a doctor, but he is licensed as an attending physician.
“We put our hope and our trust in healthcare providers and government officials,” said Timothy Langan, special agent in charge of the FBI in Kansas City, in a statement. “The defendant’s actions are not only a betrayal of that trust, but his actions erode the core of our trust in a system we trust. Derges vowed not to cause harm as a health professional and was elected to serve the people, not to deceive them. She used her position for personal gain and undermined public confidence. “
Stacie R. Bilyeu, Derges’s lawyer, told the Post that Derges plans to plead not guilty to the charges and called the charge “unilateral”.
“The charge contains mere allegations and those claims have yet to be proven,” said Bilyeu.
In a Facebook entry on Monday, after the charges against her were announced, Derges posted a photo of the biblical figures David and Goliath.
“I don’t think there has ever been a more appropriate image to portray this day,” she said. “Despite this” Goliath “, I will continue to help the needy and defend the rights of all of us. Lies and distorted words mean nothing. Truth and righteousness mean everything. I can stand before God and know that He will smile at me. Goliath cannot take it as hard as you try. Righteous people are also always able to discern the truth – I trust that. “