Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services, May 11 Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Frohnmayer, 74, dies; tributes pour in What you'll find at the growers markets this week St. Mary's reaches out to China Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, May 11 Police reports Medford police use anti-overdose nasal spray to revive heroin victim Emergency Services, March 10 Medford man arrested for growing marijuana Politics and Elections Ex-Merkley aide chosen as Oregon secretary of state Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Education St. Mary's reaches out to China Work your body to save your braaaaains Inert grenade spurred White Mountain Middle School evacuation Willow Wind students raise money for water District considers options to keep school tracks open, safe Environment Low snow closes Mt. Ashland bunny hill chairlift DEQ issues fines over illegal White City dumping site Catastrophic wildfires expected in Southern Oregon this summer The new normal under climate change? Lost Creek Lake algae bloom subsides State News Oregon lawmakers grapple over daylight saving time Japan releases Oregonian held for 18 days over prescription Feds ban new commercial fishing for forage fish Firefighting plan aims to protect Western habitat Wyoming Legislature aims to support Northwest coal terminals with $1 billion in bonds Nation - World Obituaries Norma Catherine Morgan Marlene Milliron (Smock) Monica Louise Revel William F. Christofferson Death Notices Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories North Medford downs Klamath Argentina probes copter wreck as France mourns Gonzaga trips BYU for 14th WCC title James fuels Cavs in rout of Mavs Blair plays four tours to earn PGA card Varsity 541 College Sports Gonzaga trips BYU for 14th WCC title Beaver QB race down to three players Ducks prep for multiple foes Raiders out to end drought in NAIA tourney SOU lands tough draw in opener at nationals Pro Sports James fuels Cavs in rout of Mavs Blair plays four tours to earn PGA card Race safety measures become hot topic Wheeler-dealer Kelly trades Foles for Bradford Trades steal spotlight from free agents Community Sports Business Latest Stories Jackson County jobless rate falls to 7.7 percent Blog: Manufacturing leads Oregon's export expansion Disruptive forces: Coming to a business near you Four Rogue Valley companies make business magazine's top-100 list Blog: Cash deals for homes remains in decline Real Estate News Business briefs: March 7 New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business Transportation CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Opinion Latest Our View: Medford council shouldn't over-regulate backyard pot gardens Letters to the Editor, March 11 Kathleen Parker: Adolescent senators dunking the president Landgren cartoon: Farewell to circus elephants Landgren cartoon: Potholes Editorials Our View: Atkins a safe choice for secretary of state Our View: Driving voter turnout is no sure thing for Oregon Our View: Cheers and Jeers Our View: Take it slow on legal marijuana Our View: Small climate steps add up to big ones Letters to the Editor Our View: Medford council shouldn't over-regulate backyard pot gardens Letters to the Editor, March 11 Letters to the Editor, March 10 Letters to the Editor, March 9 Letters to the Editor, March 8 Columns Kathleen Parker: Adolescent senators dunking the president Kent Bush: Things will never change unless we change them Michael Gerson: Viewing Ferguson from Selma — and fixing it Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report Kathleen Parker: 'Just look at him' Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Lifestyle Latest stories 5 Things to Do This Weekend (March 13-15) Dear Monty: Successful rezoning property requires a plan Lost in Suburbia: Fifty shades of dirty dog Dave Ramsey: The problem with being impulsive Can't beet cold-weather crops Food Serra storms Seattle Food for Thought: Spice up dinner with shrimp Community blog: Chocolate festival winners came from near and far Prudence Hilburn: Cookbook compiler finds best of the best in Southern recipes Gail Ciampa: Garlicky mushrooms star in fresh layered sandwich Home and Garden Dear Monty: Successful rezoning property requires a plan Garden Cameos: Time to give your garden a new look Carol Link: Eradicate weeds completely, use edgers to help keep thrift on slope Paul Rogers: Daylight Saving, full moon hopeful signs for spring Home Help: 4 ways to redefine your outdoor space Health Community blog: The Future is Now Dr. Murray Feingold: Cognitive-behavioral therapy shown to help hoarders Dr. Jeff Hersh: Gallstones affect 25 percent of American women Health Watch: Get prepped for spring break HealthStyle: Marriage care and maintenance Hiking Biking Faith More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Milestones and Achievements Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Zepdrix! 'Shook, Rattled and Rolled' Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Live Music in Local Clubs Darrin Wayne steps to the plate at Rising Stars Theater TMTO's 'Bye Bye Birdie' takes flight Brava! Opera presents classic Mozart and Poulenc Review: 'Fingersmith' a twisting thriller with love TMTO presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' 'Guys and Dolls' a sure bet for dazzling entertainment Music Zepdrix! 'Shook, Rattled and Rolled' ZEPDRIX! at the Historic Ashland Armory The Bee Eaters play Headwaters Ladysmith Black Mambazo plays the Craterian Theater Live Music in Local Clubs Community Events OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Dining Serra storms Seattle Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Medford council shouldn't over-regulate backyard pot gardens ... Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax ... Frohnmayer, 74, dies; tributes pour in ... Our View: Medford council shouldn't over-regulate backyard pot gardens ... Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax ... Frohnmayer, 74, dies; tributes pour in ... Ashland residents charged in sale of harmful supplement An Ashland couple and two others face federal charges for running a scheme to sell a diluted form of industrial bleach as a medicinal cure for anything from arthritis to HIV and swine flu — even though they should have known the elixir was potentially deadly. Comment By MARK FREEMAN MailTribune.com By MARK FREEMAN Posted Feb. 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM Updated Feb 7, 2013 at 2:30 AM By MARK FREEMAN Posted Feb. 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM Updated Feb 7, 2013 at 2:30 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Suspect in 'Miracle Mineral' case can leave jail • Ashland couple pleads not guilty in federal case regarding bleach supplement... • Prosecution wants 'Miracle' elixir pair detained » Social News An Ashland couple and two others face federal charges for running a scheme to sell a diluted form of industrial bleach as a medicinal cure for anything from arthritis to HIV and swine flu — even though they should have known the elixir was potentially deadly. Louis Daniel Smith, 42, and Karis Delong, 38, both of Ashland, face six charges ranging from the interstate sale of misbranded drugs to smuggling for selling the so-called "Miracle Mineral Supplement" through their online company called Project GreenLife. The supplement was a mixture of water and sodium chlorite that buyers were told to mix with citric acid to form chlorine dioxide, which actually is an industrial chemical used to bleach textiles and disinfect wastewater, according to court records. Labeling on the chemical states it should never be ingested because it can cause digestive tract burning, nausea, diarrhea and dehydration. If inhaled, it can cause respiratory distress, lung congestion and possibly death. MMS was made and shipped out of eastern Washington from 2004 to 2011. The chemicals were first bought in Utah under the guise of a fake water treatment systems company and later smuggled from Canada with fake invoices to conceal its true use, records state. The charges are outlined in a secret indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in eastern Washington. Smith, Delong and codefendant Tammy Olson, 50, of Nine Mile Falls, Wash., were each charged with conspiracy, four counts of interstate sales of misbranded drugs and one count of smuggling. Also charged was Olson's husband, 49-year-old Chris Olson, with one count of conspiracy, one count of the interstate sale of a misbranded drug and one count of smuggling. Delong and Smith were arrested Tuesday morning in Ashland by agents from the federal Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Postal Service and lodged at the Jackson County Jail, federal prosecutor Christopher Parisi said Wednesday. The pair were shackled when they made their initial appearances Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Medford before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Clarke, who ordered Smith detained and sent to Spokane, where the case will be handled. Clarke ordered Delong held in jail in Medford to give her time to arrange for family members in Washington to take custody of the couple's daughter, who was described in court as being age 8 or 9. Clarke ordered Delong back into his courtroom Friday afternoon. Parisi said Delong and Smith recently moved to Ashland and have no ties here. Court records filed so far in the case do not allege that anyone was sickened after ingesting MMS, nor do they say how much money the group allegedly made from the Internet-based scheme. However, records show federal agents already have seized about $22,300 from three bank accounts as well as about $3,300 worth of Iraqi dinars seized at an address in Spokane. The indictment states that Smith, who also used the alias Daniel Votino, was a "trustee" in what they called "Project GreenLife — A Private Healthcare Membership Association." Delong, who also used the name Karis Copper, was listed as a managing member who frequently handled financial transactions for the company, the indictment states. Chris Olson allegedly made and bottled the MMS at his Spokane residence during the last two years of the scheme and Tammy Olson handled customer care, the indictment states. They sold MMS through various websites and provided a "Newbies" pamphlet detailing oral ingestion protocols for MMS, records show. The pamphlet also claimed chlorine dioxide had several beneficial impacts to those suffering from a variety of ailments, such as HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, tuberculosis, bird and swine flu and many other conditions, the indictment states. They were warned several times from chemical suppliers that ingesting sodium chlorite could be very harmful and potentially fatal, according to the court documents. Their operation first gained the interest of their unidentified Utah chemical distributor in February 2008 when the company's parent organization expressed concern that sodium chlorite was being used for human consumption. In March 2008, the company sent Smith a letter about its concerns and Smith emailed back: "No issues, our product is labeled for water purification," the indictment states. Smith then created an Internet domain pglwater.com, according to the indictment. A year later, the Utah company sent PGL a questionnaire regarding its sodium chlorite order. Smith allegedly emailed the Utah company salesman that PGL was "gonna take a pass" on the chemical order and instead has found another sodium chlorite source "from outside the country where the grief-o-meter is relatively low," the indictment states. FDA agents in 2010 inspected the company's production and shipping facilities in and around Spokane. That production company then severed ties with PGL, so Smith and Delong hired Chris Olson to produce MMS at his residence, the indictment states. That residence was searched by federal agents in June 2011. The case is being prosecuted out of the federal Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch in Washington, D.C., where Parisi is assigned. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470, or email at [email protected]. By MARK FREEMAN MailTribune.com By MARK FREEMAN Posted Feb. 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM Updated Feb 7, 2013 at 2:30 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501