Missouri state lawmaker charged with selling fake stem cell treatments and claiming they are a cure for Covid-19
Prosecutors in the Western District of Missouri claim that Patricia "Tricia" Ashton Derges, who operates three "Ozark Valley Medical Clinic" locations, sold what she falsely advertised as a stem cell treatment. Court documents cite one instance on April 11, 2020, when Derges wrote a Facebook post about her clinic's treatment as an "amazing treatment (that) stands to provide a potential cure for Covid-19 patients that is safe and natural."
However, Derges actually administered a substance called "amniotic fluid allograft" to patients,
according to authorities. It's a substance the University of Utah told investigators it sold to her for about $244 for 1 milliliter, according to the indictment. Authorities claim Derges knew the product did not contain any cells, including stem cells. In total, Derges' patients paid her approximately $191,815.00 for amniotic fluid that did not contain stem cells, the documents say. She charged her patients $950 to $1,450 per milliliter, according to court documents.
Derges, a Republican, has pleaded not guilty, according to her attorney, Stacey Bilyeu, who stressed she is "presumed innocent until proven guilty."