CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte woman pleaded guilty in federal court to selling unapproved drugs advertised as cures for COVID-19, the Department of Justice said.
Diana Daffin, 69, was selling the unapproved drugs as early as March 2020, court documents show. The FDA said Daffin was selling the drugs under the brand name HAMPL through her holistic medicine company that was doing business as Holistic Healthy Pet. The drugs were advertised as remedies and treatments for COVID-19, according to the FDA.
The FDA warned Daffin to stop selling the products in April and August of 2020, explaining the products she was selling were adulterated, misbranded and unapproved. Daffin responded to the FDA by saying she removed the products from her website and would stop selling them.
Court records show that wasn't true, with Daffin taking further steps to continue selling the unapproved drugs and took steps to mislead the FDA by placing them on a password-protected website. She told one customer this was her way of "evading the FDA," prosecutors said.
Daffin sold an undercover police officer a HAMPL product in February of 2021. The drug was advertised as being able to "cure, mitigate, treat and prevent COVID-19" in humans. In an email leading up to the sale, Daffin sent an email to the officer saying, "this stuff does work for covid, but fda shut it down."
The undercover agent, who was in New Hampshire, received the drug in early March. The label stated it provided a "stronger immunity against CV" and promised "Immunity for Humans."
Daffin is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 2 on the official charge of selling unapproved drugs with the intent to defraud or mislead the FDA.
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