Leaders of the online Genesis II Church of Health and Healing have received multi-year prison sentences following their convictions for a conspiracy to sell a fake “Miracle Mineral Solution” as a cure to COVID-19 and other ailments.
The substance the four men peddled to the tune of $1 million in sales was actually just industrial bleach.
The operation was run by Florida man Mark Grenon, his brother Joseph, and his two sons Jonathan and Jordan. Jonathan and Jordan received 12.5-year sentences. Mark and Joseph received five-year sentences, which is the maximum sentence for conspiring to defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and misbranded drug.
The prison terms for Jonathan and Jordan are longer than the elder Grenon brothers because they were also convicted of criminal contempt of court, charges that stemmed from Jonathan and Jordan’s refusal to stop selling the chemical solution as a miracle cure despite a court order handed down in April 2020.
RELATED: ‘Genesis II Church’ Leaders Who Allegedly Sold Bleach Solution as COVID-19 Cure Begin Trial
“The Grenons, all of Bradenton, Florida, manufactured, promoted, and sold a product they named Miracle Mineral Solution (‘MMS’),” said the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida in a press release. “MMS is a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water which, when ingested orally, became chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper.”
The statement went on to explain that ingesting MMS can “cause dangerous side effects, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure.”
Prior to selling MMS as a cure for COVID-19, the Grenons marketed the chemical solution as a cure for other diseases and ailments, including various forms of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and even HIV/AIDS.
The men sold MMS through their online “church,” Genesis II.
Although the organization’s website has been taken down, a screen capture archived in 2020 reveals that Genesis II Church claimed to have multiple local chapters. It charged $35 for annual membership for the first year and $20 every year thereafter. The website said that members would receive an identification card that could be used for a religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine.
