San Diego physician Jennings Staley sentenced in hydroxychloroquine scheme

In March and April of 2020, as the coronavirus unfold and other people remoted in their homes, a doctor in San Diego boasted that he had his hands on a “miracle cure,” according to prosecutors — hydroxychloroquine.

In mass-marketing emails from his enterprise, Skinny Seashore Med Spa, Jennings Ryan Staley stated the drug was included in his coronavirus “treatment kits,” regardless of the medicine becoming increasingly scarce. But Staley had a manner of getting it, he later instructed an undercover federal agent. He planned to smuggle in a barrel of hydroxychloroquine powder with the help of a Chinese language provider, prosecutors mentioned.

Staley was sentenced last week to 30 days in prison and a yr of dwelling confinement for the scheme. He pleaded guilty last year.

“On the peak of the pandemic, before vaccines were accessible, this physician sought to profit from patients’ fears,” U.S. Legal professional Randy Grossman stated in a information release. “He abused his position of belief and undermined the integrity of the entire medical occupation.”

Staley’s legal professional did not immediately respond to requests for remark late Monday.

How false hope unfold about hydroxychloroquine to treat covid-19 — and the consequences that followed

Hydroxychloroquine is often prescribed to folks with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and is used to deal with malaria. The drug was repeatedly touted by President Donald Trump, beginning in the early days of the pandemic, as a “game changer.” Trump’s endorsement brought about demand for the drug to spike, resulting in shortages and ultimately affecting those that needed it for non-covid well being issues. Research later found that hydroxychloroquine will not be an efficient remedy for covid and didn't prevent individuals from becoming sick.

In accordance with prosecutors, federal brokers began looking into Staley after involved clients alerted the FBI to the advertising and marketing emails from Skinny Beach Med Spa. The enterprise marketed “world-class magnificence improvements at reasonably priced costs,” court paperwork show, and offered services together with Botox, fats switch, hair elimination and tattoo elimination.

The covid remedy kit came with a 30-day “concierge medical expertise,” intravenous drips, access to medical hyperbaric oxygen (at an additional price), and prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and anti-anxiety drugs, information show.

In late March 2020, an undercover agent responded to one of the emails and inquired in regards to the therapy equipment, investigators mentioned. When Staley and the agent spoke on the cellphone quickly after, the doctor falsely claimed that hydroxychloroquine was a “magic bullet” and an “wonderful remedy” that might keep someone immune from covid for no less than six weeks, according to court data.

“It’s preventive and healing,” Staley said to the spy, courtroom paperwork present. “It’s hard to believe, it’s virtually too good to be true. But it’s a exceptional clinical phenomenon.”

He added that the virus “actually disappears in hours” after a person takes the drug.

When asked by the agent whether the treatment was a “guaranteed” cure for covid, Staley stated yes but qualified that “there’s always exceptions” and “there are not any guarantees in life,” courtroom information present.

In the course of the call, Staley additionally instructed the agent how he was sourcing the hydroxychloroquine. He said that he “got the last tank of hydroxychloroquine smuggled out of China,” information present, and that he “tricked customs” by labeling the barrel as “candy potato extract.” He added that the powder was sufficient to make 8,000 doses in gelatin capsules.

Staley later provided the agent prescriptions for generic versions of Viagra and Xanax, a federally controlled substance, regardless of by no means asking him “any medical questions,” prosecutors stated. The agent ordered six kits — sufficient for himself and 5 members of the family — for $4,000, in keeping with court paperwork.

A Florida man received hundreds of thousands in coronavirus assist. He used it to buy a Lamborghini, prosecutors say.

Staley was charged in mid-April 2020 and pleaded responsible in July 2021. As a part of his plea agreement, Staley also admitted to posing as one in all his employees to fill a prescription for hydroxychloroquine to then use it in his kits, prosecutors mentioned. And he agreed to accusations that he lied to federal brokers during the investigation.

“Dr. Staley offered a ‘magic bullet’ — a assured treatment for COVID-19 to people gripped in concern during a world pandemic,” FBI Particular Agent in Cost Suzanne Turner stated in a information launch when Staley pleaded guilty. “Right now, Dr. Staley admitted it was all a lie as part of a rip-off to make a quick buck.”

As part of his sentencing on Friday, Staley was ordered to pay a $10,000 superb and to offer back the $4,000 the federal agent paid for his family’s equipment. He additionally needed to hand over “greater than 4,500 tablets of various pharmaceutical drugs, a number of luggage of empty tablet capsules, and a manual capsule-filling machine,” prosecutors mentioned.

According to records from the medical board of California, Staley’s license has been briefly suspended by a court docket order.