A man in Washington State was arrested on federal charges for allegedly administering an unauthorized Covid-19 vaccine to patients.
Johnny Stine of Redmond traveled across the country charging patients between $ 400 and $ 1,000 for each injection, the Justice Department said in a press release. He was arrested on Thursday on charges of introducing fake branded drugs into interstate commerce.
Stine, a self-styled biotechnology executive, started selling the illegal vaccine in March.
US Attorney Brian T. Moran said the vaccine “has not been tested, has not been tested and is potentially unsafe”.
Authorities began investigating Stine in March, after the Food and Drug Administration was alerted to his social media posts. An undercover agent contacted Stine, who said he had a coronavirus vaccine for sale.
“Stine said his main biotechnology effort was to create vaccines that target cancerous tumors. He indicated that he had used a similar method to develop his Covid-19 vaccine,” the press release said.
The Justice Department did not say how many people Stine was supposed to have treated. The Seattle Times said there were about 30 people, citing a lawsuit filed in King County.
In June, Stine signed a consent decree to pay the approximately 30 people to whom he sold his “peak protein” Covid-19 vaccine, the channel reported.
Federal officials said a person had contacted the FDA about Stine’s unauthorized vaccine, saying his friend had been injected. This month, investigators learned that another person who allegedly received one of his vaccines was hospitalized with the coronavirus, according to the press release.
During the investigation, Stine told an undercover agent that he would travel to Oregon and California to vaccinate the agent’s family members. He told another undercover agent that he would travel to Idaho to vaccinate the agent, federal investigators said.
Authorities said Stine was instructed several times to stop selling the unauthorized vaccine, but he continued to sell it.
“The very idea that someone would attack fearful people in search of a Covid vaccine in the midst of a global pandemic is not only negligible, but potentially deadly behavior,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees investigative operations. internal security in the Pacific Northwest.
“Snake oil sellers like this, which put consumers in danger, should take this prison as a harsh warning. HSI, together with our law enforcement partners, continues to be dedicated to protecting the community from these criminals and the dangerous substances they sell. “
Stine, 55, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. His lawyer did not return a request for comment. If convicted, Stine faces up to a year in prison.
Only two Covid-19 vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer, have been approved for emergency use by the FDA.
