TOPICS:
COVID-19Misbranded drugsGuilty pleaGolden SunriseFDA approvalEmergency treatmentInterstate commerceStephen D. MeisFRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — 73-year-old Stephen D. Meis, formerly of Visalia, pleaded guilty to one count of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
Meis, who served as the Medical Director of Golden Sunrise Pharmaceutical Inc. and Golden Sunrise Nutraceutical Inc., was involved in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of products falsely claiming to treat various medical conditions.
According to court documents, beginning on March 30, 2020, Meis and Golden Sunrise’s CEO, Huu Tieu, 62, of Porterville, marketed an herbal mixture called the “Emergency D-Virus Plan of Care” as a COVID-19 treatment.
The labeling for these drugs was misleading, falsely stating that the products were “uniquely qualified to treat and modify the course of the virus epidemic in China and other countries.”
Golden Sunrise also falsely claimed that their products were the first dietary supplements in the U.S. to be approved by the FDA as prescription medicines for COVID-19 treatment. In reality, none of the Golden Sunrise products had received FDA approval for any purpose.
On June 12, 2024, Tieu was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in the introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.
Meis is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on July 14th. He faces a maximum...
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