A Utah salesman has been sentenced to prison after selling what he called a "Silver Miracle" which he advertised could cure flu, diabetes, pneumonia, and even COVID-19.
Gordon Hunter Pedersen, a 64-year-old from Cedar Hills dubbed a "modern day snake-oil salesman" by the FBI, was sentenced to three years in prison and one year of supervised release on Monday after pleading guilty to mail fraud and introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead.
Pedersen sold the fake cure through an operation called My Doctor Suggests, of which he was the spokesman and primary marketer. Pedersen owned 25% of My Doctor Suggests, which is thought to have brought in around $6.1 million in revenue between 2012 and 2020.
Through its YouTube channel, he advertised ingestible silver products, which he claimed were a miracle cure for COVID-19 and sold them online. He advertised his drug before vaccines were rolled out in 2020 and revenue soared for his company, according to court documents.
While dressed in a white lab coat, Pedersen said in videos that the drug "resonates, or vibrates, at a frequency that destroys the membrane of the virus, making the virus incapable of attaching to any healthy cell, or to infect you in any way," according to the Utah District Attorney's Office.
He also falsely claimed on YouTube videos to be a board-certified "Anti-Aging Medical Doctor," and that he had a PhD in immunology and one in Naturopathic Medicine, prosecutors alleged.
He was also charged with mail fraud for using the U.S. Postal Services to deliver his silver products, including silver lozenges, silver probiotics, silver soap, silver mouthwash, and silver gel.
Utah Attorney Trina A. Higgins said, "Pedersen profited off citizens during a vulnerable time then fled from law enforcement for three years to avoid prosecution. My office remains committed to prosecuting financial fraud and seeking justice for victims."
FBI Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha said, "Mr Pedersen was a modern-day snake oil salesman, exploiting vulnerable people, especially during the pandemic."
The Utah Attorney's Office has been contacted by Newsweek for comment.
Pedersen was arrested on August 7, 2020, but fled prosecution, leading to a three-year manhunt.
A warrant was issued for his arrest on August 25, 2020, after he failed to appear on an indictment in federal court. His charges included, mail fraud, wire fraud, and felony introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead. He was then spotted during surveillance by federal agents on July 5, 2023.
He was then arrested in August 2023 and tried in March 2024. On the second day of the trial, before opening statements, Pedersen pleaded guilty to some charges.
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