(NYDAILYNEWS) – A Washington entrepreneur who branded himself a biotech expert and sold an alleged COVID-19 “vaccine” he created in his personal lab has been arrested.
Johnny Stine, 56, has been charged with introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce after he advertised his concoction for between $400 and $1,000, according to the Department of Justice.
The FDA continued meeting with Stine while undercover into April, at which point the entrepreneur offered to travel to Oregon and California to vaccinate family members of the undercover agents, according to the DOJ.
The Washington State Attorney General issued a cease and desist letter to Stine in late April, but Stine refused and continued selling the vaccine, which he now referred to as an immunogen, telling him to stop making claims and offering his “vaccine” for COVID-19.
In June, Stine and the AG agreed that he would not promote or sell his COVID-19 vaccine, but Stine almost immediately broke that agreement, traveling to Idaho in August to “vaccinate” another undercover agent, according to the DOJ. Authorities then seized Stine’s “vaccine” and raided his warehouse in Redmond, Wash.
At least one person that Stine injected with his fake vaccine has been hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the DOJ.
“Snake oil salesmen, such as this, who endanger consumers should take this arrest as a stern warning. HSI, along with our law enforcement partners, remain dedicated to protecting the community from these criminals and the dangerous substances they sell.”
During the investigation, officials also discovered that Stine was allegedly selling untested “vaccines” to cancer patients to battle their malignant tumors.
If convicted, Stine faces up to one year in prison.