A man in Washington state has been arrested on federal charges of allegedly administering an unauthorized Covid-19 vaccine to patients.
Johnny Stine, of Redmond, traveled through the country asking patients between $ 400 and $ 1,000 for each shot, the Justice Department said in a news release. He was arrested on Thursday on charges of launching incorrect trademarks in trade between the countries.
Stine, a self-described biotechnology executive, began hawking the illegal vaccine in March.
U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran said the vaccine was “untested, untested and potentially unsafe.”
Authorities began investigating Stine in March after the Food and Drug Administration was notified of its social media messages. An undercover agent contacted Stine and said he had a coronavirus vaccine for sale.
“Stine claims that his main biotechnological effort was to create vaccines that attack cancerous growths. He indicated that he used a similar method to develop his Covid-19 vaccine,” the news release read.
The justice department did not say how many people Stine allegedly treated. The Seattle Times said it was about 30 people, citing a lawsuit filed in King County.
In June, Stine signed a consent decision to reimburse the approximately 30 people to whom he sold his Covid-19 “spike protein” vaccine, the store reported.
Federal authorities said one person contacted the FDA about Stine’s unauthorized vaccine and said their friend had been injected. Investigators learned this month that another person who allegedly received one of his shots was hospitalized with the coronavirus, according to the news release.
During the investigation, Stine told a secret agent that he would travel to Oregon and California to vaccinate the agent’s relatives. He told another secret agent he would travel to Idaho to vaccinate the agent, federal investigators said.
Authorities said Stine had been told several times not to sell the unauthorized vaccine, but he continued to sell it.
“The idea that someone is tarnishing fearful people seeking a Covid vaccine amid a global pandemic is not only despicable but also deadly,” said Robert Hammer, special agent. Northwest.
“Snake oil sellers, such as these, who endanger consumers, must regard this arrest as a serious warning. HSI, together with our law enforcement partners, remains committed 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, he faces up to a year in prison.
Only two Covid-19 vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer, have been approved by the FDA for emergency use.
