MIAMI, FLORIDA: Mark Grenon, 66, who fled to Columbia when the federal government first announced charges against him, was sentenced to five years in prison, which is the maximum sentence agreed upon between the US and Columbia during the extradition, along with his son, Joseph Grenon, 36, for selling bleach as a cure for Covid-19 on Friday, October 6.
His other sons Jonathan Grenon, 37, and Jordan Grenon, 29, received twelve and half years in prison for conspiracy and contempt for trying to "defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and misbranded drug," as stated by the Department of Justice in a news release.
Moreover, all of them were asked to pay nearly $2000 each in restitution, as per the New York Post.
At the sentencing hearing, Assistant US Attorney Michael Homer said, "The defendants preyed on many vulnerable populations," related to the family's crimes.
Mark Grenon accused the US government of holding him 'unlawfully'
The Miami Herald reported that Mark Grenon argued with a judge that he was actually a victim for spending 1,152 days in jail, and the US government should compensate him $5.76 million for being
held unlawfully."
Upon asking whether he would be awarded the hefty amount, US District Judge Cecilia Altonaga replied, "That’s a nonsensical question. I won’t answer that."
At the summer trial in front of a federal jury, the Grenons represented themselves.
Jonathan, who himself has five children, argued that he had spent enough time in custody. He said, "I have lost everything. I believe I should be released to my family."
His brothers made similar pleas, but all of them were shot down.
Grenons sold 'Miracle Mineral Solution' as a solution to Covid
The "Miracle Mineral Solution" (MMS) was a chemical solution that would turn into bleach after it's ingested orally.
As per the DOJ, the solution is typically used to treat industrial water and for bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper.
"The Grenons claimed that ingesting MMS could treat, prevent, and cure Covid-19. The FDA, however, had not approved MMS for treatment of Covid-19, or for any other use," said the DOJ.
According to the authorities, the Bradenton, Florida-based family carried out the fraud through a fake church, the "Genesis II Church of Health and Healing," which they had created to avoid government regulations.
The Grenons further claimed that MMS could cure 95% of diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and AIDS, to name a few, as per the New York Post.
Patients could obtain the solution by making a donation to Genesis set at specific amounts. These acted as sales prices and resulted in the family making over a million dollars.
When the government obtained court orders to halt the production of the fake cure, the Grenons "willfully violated those court orders and continued to distribute MMS," stated the DOJ.
The family was accused by the prosecutors of never showing remorse for their irresponsible actions.
