Matthew Ryncarz, Selling Misbranded Drug, Georgia 2020

A Georgia man and his company have been charged with violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by selling a drug claiming to treat COVID-19. Matthew Ryncarz and his company, Fusion Health and Vitality, LLC d/b/a Pharm Origins, are accused of selling a misbranded drug called “Immune Shot” that they falsely claimed would lower consumer’s risk of contracting COVID-19 by nearly 50 percent.

In March 2020, during the midst of the global COVID-19 public health crisis, Ryncarz, through his company, Pharm Origins, created a website and began selling “Immune Shot” for $19 a bottle. The website represented that “YOU will learn in JUST MINUTES … how to LOWER your risk of COVID-19 by nearly 50%”.

Ryncarz and Pharm Origins sold “Immune Shot” to consumers in the Southern District of Georgia and outside of the state of Georgia. The defendants were charged by way of an Information, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. The Information alleges that “Immune Shot” was a misbranded drug within the meaning of 21 U.S.C. § 352(a)(1), in that it bore false and misleading labeling.

“Our office is committed to ensuring that businesses do not take advantage of a global health crisis and people’s fears in order to unlawfully make a buck,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to make sure consumers are not exploited during these challenging times.”

The defendants were charged with violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by selling a misbranded drug. Criminal informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Please report COVID-19 fraud to the National Center for Disaster Fraud’s National Hotline at (866) 720-5721, or go to justice.gov/disastercomplaintform.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Patrick J. Schwedler are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/georgia-man-and-hiscompany-charged-selling-misbranded-drugs-advertised-treat-covid-19