January 13, 2012
Federal investigators have shut down a fraudulent weight loss trial based out of Denver, Colorado, and arrested the ringleader. According to reports from 9 News, the investigation to shut down the ring took two years and crossed 15 states before the case closed Thursday.
The man behind the fraud ring faces up to 20 years and $250,000 in fines if convicted of numerous crimes that span back two years since the Better Business Bureau (BBB) began to look into complaints of fraud by the company. Spokesperson for the BBB, Megan Miller, stated that dozens of reports were made to the agency saying that customers responded to an add in the paper looking for participants for a clinical weight loss trial.
Those who responded were told they could participate in the trial to receive weight loss pills and $300 for their time if they supplied $144 up front to the company conducting the experiments, Metacor Labs Weight Loss Study by Progenics.
Those who filed complaints said that money was sent with no response other than one pack of mystery pills.
The BBB said that they were concerned not only with the fraud being conducted, but more importantly, the unknown, and possibly untested, medications that were being distributed.
The Colorado drug injury lawyers with the McDivitt Law Firm advise that taking any medication without a doctor’s consent is dangerous. If you have suffered from a drug injury, contact an experienced attorney today.
