Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
|
|
United Press International; Friday December 12, 1997 - 4:04 PM EST
U.S. Attorney Paul Seave said today that 50-year-old Larence Clare Greene of Los Banos and two companies he owns are charged with fraudulently marketing medically useless HIV and hepatitis A test kits for home use.
The maximum penalty is five years in prison if he is convicted.
Court records say Greene sold his home test kits over the Internet to about 30 people nationwide and to as many as 40 Central Valley pharmacies. They were billed as ``confidential, safe, accurate and easy to use.''
Seave says Greene marketed the kits even though they hadn't been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as required by law.
The FDA issued a consumer warning about the test kits earlier this year, and an investigation by the agency's Office of Criminal Investigation led to the indictment.
Seave says Greene appeared in Fresno federal court and has been detained without bail.
971212
UP971213
Copyright © 1997 - United Press International. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through United Press International, Permissions Desk, 1510 H St. N.W. Washington DC 2005. Main Phone Switchboard: 202-898-8000 FAX: 202-898-8057 or 202-898-8147 Email: info@upi.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1997. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1997. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .