Three months after a Florida man and his three sons were convicted of selling toxic industrial bleach as a fake COVID-19 cure through their online church, a federal judge in Miami sentenced them to serve prison time.
Jonathan Grenon, 37, and Jordan Grenon, 29, were sentenced on Friday to 151 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and misbranded drug, and for contempt of court, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida. Mark Grenon, 66, and Joseph Grenon, 36, were sentenced to 60 months in prison, the statutory maximm for conspiring to defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and misbranded drug.
All four had been found guilty by a federal judge this summer after a two-day trial where the Grenons represented themselves, according to The Miami Herald. Mark Grenon is the father of Jonathan, Jordan and Joseph Grenon.
2 received the maximum of 60 months for “conspiring to defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and mislabeled drug”
2 received 151 months for “conspiring to defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and mislabeled drug” AND contempt of court.
Glad that the judge threw the book at them, but I find it a little concerning that they got so much more time for contempt of court (91 months) than they did for selling bleach as a COVID cure (60 months). Seems to me that selling people something that may kill them under false pretenses is much more serious of an offense than disrespecting the court. 60 month maximum just seems quite low comparitively.
I have tangentially followed these guys for several years, after seeing them get adopted by Qanon adherents, and, while I am happy they are eating some time, I agree that the father deserved much more time. IIRC, he also set up shop in a Latin American country and killed folks there too.
Is there no federal charge in the U.S. for death(s) and illnesses resulting from deliberately selling poison?
Are there state remedies?
Florida