Mark Grenon, Florida Man Who Peddled Bleach As A Coronavirus Cure, Charged With Conspiracy, Fraud
Mark Grenon, a Florida man who allegedly peddled bleach as a miracle cure for a variety of ailments, was charged with multiple criminal counts in a Miami court on Wednesday, the New York Daily News reported.
Grenon describes himself as the “archbishop” of the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, which has, for years, claimed that its Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS) cures everything from cancer to acne and lately, COVID-19. Until recently, the church even sold the solution on its website as “water purification drops.”
According to authorities, Miracle Mineral Solution is nothing more than chlorine dioxide, or industrial bleach.
Bradenton resident Grenon, 62, and his three adult sons — Jonathan, 34, Joseph 32, and Jordan, 26 — allegedly sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide under the guise of their church, which authorities claim they created in order to skirt government regulations.
Authorities believe that “numerous” deaths may have occurred over the years due to the use of the product. Federal officials have received complaints of people getting sick, developing life-threatening conditions, and even dying after ingesting MMS.
“Making claims that unproven drugs, especially potentially dangerous and unapproved chlorine dioxide products, can cure or prevent COVID-19 or any other disease is unacceptable,” said Catherine Hermsen, assistant commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
According to Healthline, consuming even small amounts of bleach can cause digestive problems or respiratory issues. In some cases, doing so can be fatal.
The four men have been charged with criminal contempt, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and conspiracy to violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Grenon and his “miracle cure” may even have a connection to Donald Trump, however obliquely.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Grenon claims that he wrote to the 45th president to recommend MMS as a cure for COVID-19 — the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.
Days later, Trump gave a press conference in which he appeared to insinuate that consuming bleach could miraculously cure COVID-19.
“I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute, and is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs so it’d be interesting to check that,” the president said at the time.
Trump would later claim that he was joking. Further, it bears noting that there is absolutely no evidence that he was spurred to make his remarks by Grenon’s letter, or if Trump had even read it or received it.
