An Alpharetta business owner was barred by a federal court from selling vitamin D products as a treatment for COVID-19 and other diseases.
A statement from the Department of Justice said Matthew Ryncarz took advantage of consumers during the pandemic by selling an unapproved drug through his business, Fusion Heath and Vitality and Fusion Ionz, also known as Pharm Origins.
Matthew Ryncarz was charged in August by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia with violating Federal, Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act for selling his product as an “immune shot” and protection against the disease.
Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Ryncarz attempted to manipulate people ages 50 and older, according to prosecutors, and created a website for his “Immune Shot” selling at $19 per bottle.
Website promotions for his business in Alpharetta on Union Hill Road urged consumers to purchase his vitamin D products to avoid the risk of COVID-19, the Department of Justice statement said.
Researchers have studied the benefit of vitamin D in treating or preventing COVID-19 but say more data is needed, Mayo Clinic infectious disease specialist Dr. William F. Marshall wrote last fall.
“The Department of Justice will not allow individuals to take advantage of consumers during a public health emergency by making unproven claims about unapproved drugs to profit from public panic,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel J. Feith. “We will continue to work closely with the Food and Drug Administration to halt such conduct.”
The Department of Justice said a separate related case was brought against Ryncarz. He pleaded guilty in that case, last September, to making false claims about his product.
In a YouTube video on the Pharma Origins website, Ryncarz introduces himself by a different name, Clint Winters, while promoting “natural health boosting formulas” and the mission of the company.
About the Author
