Individuals Charged in Medical Device Scheme
The Justice Department says that three individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with a scheme to market the “QLaser” as a treatment for over 200 diseases and disorders, and for violating an earlier court order that was issued after the scheme was first uncovered. A department statement says that two South Dakota residents and a Canadian resident were indicted by a federal grand jury. Two of the three were charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, contempt, and obstruction of government proceedings. The other person was charged with criminal contempt.
The statement says that another South Dakota man agreed to plead guilty 1/30 to related conspiracy charges contained in a separate criminal information.
Charging documents indicated that three of the defendants marketed and distributed “QLasers,” a collection of hand-held light-emitting devices that they falsely claimed could safely and effectively treat at home medical conditions such as cancer, cardiac arrest, HIV, diabetes, and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
A 2015 court order required all those involved to stop distributing the devices. The Justice Department says that the defendants’ disobedience of the order led to the criminal contempt charges.