Dying patients were told by four men that they could be cured through stem cells. Investigators say the men manipulated desperate terminally ill patients into believing that stems would be their miracle cure.

US Attorney Kenneth Magidson said, “Protecting the public from unproven and potentially dangerous drug and medical procedures is very important.”

He continued by saying, “This office will continue to prosecute violations involving threats to the public health.”

The men were indicted in November with 39 counts of mail fraud and unlawfully manufacturing, distributing, and selling stem cells and stem cell procedures not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Vincent Dammai, a researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), was indicted. According to the FBI, Dammai used MUSC facilities to create stem cells. He did so without receiving approval from the FDA or university officials.

The other three men indicted are all from Texas. Francisco Morales, 52, of Brownsville, was charged with falsely identifying himself as a medical doctor and operating a clinic in Brownsville, which used stem cells to treat terminal illnesses.

Alberto Ramon, 48, of Del Rio has also been charged. Ramon worked as licensed midwife and obtained umbilical cord blood to create stem cells.

The last man, Lawrence Stowe, is still running from the FBI. He has been indicted, but yet to be arrested. Stowe, 58, is from Dallas.

Stowe, who often refers to himself as, “Dr. Larry Stowe”, has been charged with marketing, promoting, and selling stem cells through front companies. Stowe was featured on the CBS News program “60 Minutes” for manipulating an ALS patient, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, into believing stem cell therapy could reverse and cure the fatal disease. This is a false claim.

Cory Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office stated, “The investigation identified a scheme whereby the suffering and hopes of victims in extreme medical needs were used and manipulated for personal profit”.

According to Nelson, Morales would acquire his clients in the United States and travel to Mexico to perform the procedure.

Dr. Craig Klugman, a medical ethicist of the University of Texas Health Science Center stated, “I would be very skeptical of anything claiming to have stem cells in it, because, at least in the United States, there is nothing commercially approved for use with stem cells in it”.

Reports state the men took $1.5 million from their patients suffering terminal illnesses.

Nelson stated, “As a result of this fraudulent scheme, the public was mislead into believing that stem cells and other drug and biological products sold by the defendants had been approved by the FDA to treat cancer, ALS, MS, and Parkinson’s disease.”

By:  Pete Strom South Carolina Consumer Fraud Attorney