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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah County man has been taken into custody after police say he was on the run for three years facing federal charges of selling silver products he claimed would cure COVID-19.
Gordon Hunter Pedersen, 63, of Cedar Hills, was indicted in federal court in July of 2020 with mail fraud, wire fraud and for introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead buyers, according to court documents.
Pedersen was a part owner of My Doctor Suggests LLC in Utah County, according to investigators. He was also the owner and operator of GP Silver LLC.
"Since at least 2014 … Pedersen promoted and sold silver products … as a treatment for various diseases, including arthritis, diabetes, influenza, pneumonia and more recently coronavirus disease 2019," charging documents state.
"Pedersen promoted silver products under the guise of medical licensing and authority. For example, (he) often used the title 'Dr.' while introducing himself in promotional videos," the charges allege.
He claimed he was a naturopathic doctor, prosecutors say, and used a picture of himself wearing a white coat with a stethoscope on at least one of his web pages.
In early 2020, Pedersen used his social media channels, podcasts and other websites and "began fraudulently promoting his silver products as effective protection against, and treatment for, COVID-19," the charges state. He also "experienced a substantial increase in sales" at that time.
Prosecutors say Pedersen made claims such as, "If you have the silver in you, when the virus arrives, the silver can isolate and eliminate that virus."
After he was indicted, Pedersen was ordered to appear in federal court on Aug. 25, 2020. But when he failed to show up, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Despite not being in custody, Pedersen has had correspondence with the court, filing several letters of correspondence and a motion to dismiss the case. Pedersen's court filings are often long and rambling and he describes himself as being a "noncorporate, private living natural man, am NOT the federal juristic artificial corporate entity Gordon Hunter Pedersen."
He claims the charges against him are based on misstatements made to a grand jury.
"It is unmistakably apparent that the United States of America, through former U.S. Attorney John Huber, has made blatant misstatements, misrepresented facts, instituted deceptive tactics and concealment in order to procure assets and property belonging to I, Gordon-Hunter: Pedersen©, for financial gain," he states in his motion to dismiss.
In another paragraph, Pedersen states that the allegations in one portion of the indictment against him "are so ludicrous it is hard to fathom these statements actually appear in an alleged federal indictment. ... I have made no statements that are untrue. The fact is I do have a Ph.D. in toxicology and also in many other areas as well, and as such may refer to myself as a doctor.
"To the best of my knowledge and understanding, wearing a lab coat and a stethoscope is not a criminal offense and the allegation that this activity is in some manner a 'scheme to defraud' is preposterous and does not substantiate the false allegations," his motion states.
In another letter to the court, Pedersen called the court and indictment illegitimate and that he does not "consent" to U.S. laws, which he called a "foreign" jurisdiction.
"Additionally, the prosecutors have not proven there is any plaintiff at all; United States of America, Inc; which dissolved January 2021 (it is on the public record). When a corporation is bankrupt, insolvent and dissolved it no longer exists and can no longer do business, additionally it has no employees," he argued to the court.
According to the U.S. attorney for Utah, federal agents spotted Pedersen while conducting surveillance on July 5. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on Tuesday.
In 2021, it was announced that My Doctor Suggests LLC had severed ties with Pedersen and agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false and misleading marketing claims of ingestible silver products as a drug treatment for COVID-19.
