A father and his three sons have been charged with selling $1 million (£718,535) of industrial grade bleach as a 'coronavirus cure'.
A grand jury in Miami has returned an indictment charging Mark Grenon, 62, and sons Jonathan, 34, Joseph 32, and Jordan 26, with conspiracy to commit fraud as well as two counts each of criminal contempt.
The men face life in prison if convicted of the charges.
The father is the archbishop of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, in Bradenton, Florida.
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According to the indictment, the Grenon's 'manufactured, promoted, and sold a product they named Miracle Mineral Solution ("MMS")'.
It went on: "MMS is a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water which, when ingested orally, became chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper."
But the men claimed it could cure all manner of ailments and illnesses, including Covid-19, cancer, HIV/AIDs, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
The Food and Drug Administration has not cleared the solution for ingesting and even released a warning to people urging them not to drink the so-called 'Miracle' solution.
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The FDA warned that drinking the chlorine dioxide solution could bring on a host of severe reactions, including 'nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and symptoms of severe dehydration'.
The statement went on to say: "The FDA has received reports of consumers who have suffered from severe vomiting, severe diarrhoea, life-threatening low blood pressure caused by dehydration, and acute liver failure after drinking these products."
According to an official statement, it's alleged the men sold 'tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide' through the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing.
Court documents claim the family were making around $32,000 a month selling the cure prior to Covid-19 arriving in the US, but they saw their orders soar once the pandemic hit with their earnings topping $132,000 a month.
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Prosecutors claim the father and sons made $1 million from the scheme.
Prosecutors also claim Genesis II Church of Health and Healing was created specifically to avoid regulation of MMS and isn't a religious church.
They say Grenon has 'repeatedly acknowledged that Genesis has nothing to do with religion,' and that he founded Genesis to 'legalise the use of MMS and avoid going to jail'.
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A raid on the Bradenton property resulted in cops removing dozens of chemical drums, 10,00lbs of sodium nitrate and thousands of bottles of MMS.
Topics: Coronavirus, US News, crime