Quin Global, Mail Fraud and Unregistered Pesticide Sales, Nebraska 2024

Omaha Company and President Sentenced for COVID-19 Fraud

In a significant blow to those who sought to profit from the COVID-19 pandemic, Quin Global, a Nebraska-based company, and its President, Matthew Petersen, have been sentenced for mail fraud and selling an unregistered pesticide. The sentencing took place on August 30, 2024 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska.

According to the investigation, Quin Global began manufacturing and selling pesticides in March 2020, despite not being registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The company purchased a product from Buckeye International, diluted and repackaged it, and then sold it as a Quin Global product named Ramsol-RS1, claiming it was EPA-approved and effective against the COVID virus.

However, the product was not registered with the EPA, and Quin Global repeatedly assured customers that it was valid and effective, citing the EPA registration for the Lonza/Buckeye product. Lonza's Formulation HWS-64 was listed on the EPA's List N in March 2020.

Quin Global distributed Ramsol-RS1 to 73 of its distributors in the United States and Canada from April 2020 through July 2020. The company received numerous inquiries from customers about the product's validity and efficacy, but failed to comply with the required EPA FIFRA registration requirements.

As a result of the investigation, Quin Global was sentenced to a 2-year term of probation and ordered to pay a $390,000 fine and $520 in special assessments. Matthew Petersen, the President of Quin Global, was sentenced to a 1-year term of probation and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine and a $25 special assessment.

The sentencing demonstrates that individuals and corporations will be held criminally responsible for profiting from false claims that preyed upon public health concerns during a global pandemic and for failing to ensure the integrity and safety of their products.

Defendant: Quin Global and Matthew Petersen

Criminal Charges: Mail fraud and selling an unregistered pesticide

City and State: Omaha, Nebraska

Exact Date: August 30, 2024

Sentence or Outcome: Quin Global: 2-year term of probation, $390,000 fine, $520 in special assessments; Matthew Petersen: 1-year term of probation, $2,500 fine, $25 special assessment

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ne/pr/omaha-company-and-company-president-sentenced-covid-related-crimes