Convicted Bleach-Cure Creator is in Prison, but his Mineral Miracle Solution is Still being Pushed by Deluded Believers
Creator of the “Mineral Miracle Solution” sentenced to prison for peddling a compound not fit for human consumption. Some of his followers still advocate its use, however.
In 2015, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that Louis Daniel Smith had been sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in prison for creating and marketing a toxic bleach brew that he convinced others could cure cancer, malaria, HIV and other diseases. He sold his “Mineral Miracle Solution” via his Project Greenlife (PGL) website. The product he sold was in fact a toxic mix of Sodium Chlorite and water. According to the DOJ, “Sodium chlorite is an industrial chemical used as a pesticide, for hydraulic fracturing and for wastewater treatment. Sodium chlorite cannot be sold for human consumption, and suppliers of the chemical include a warning sheet stating that it can cause potentially fatal side effects if swallowed.”
According to the DOJ, Smith instructed purchasers of his Mineral Miracle Solution to mix the product with citric acid, and drink the resulting combination. The combination creates chlorine dioxide, which the DOJ states is “a severe respiratory and eye irritant that can cause nausea, diarrhea and dehydration. Smith provided instructions for use of his product including that nausea, diarrhea and vomiting were all signs that the miracle cure was working. The instructions also stated that despite a risk of possible brain damage, the product might still be appropriate for pregnant women or infants who were seriously ill.”
The DOJ also reports that Smith created fake water purification and wastewater treatment businesses to mask the real reason he sought to purchase these toxic chemicals and to hide his purchases from the FDA and U.S. Customs.
Along with Smith’s conviction, three of Smith’s alleged co-conspirators accepted a guilty plea. Chris Olson, Tammy Olson and Karis DeLong, Smith’s wife, pleaded guilty to introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Additionally, Chris Olson, and alleged co-conspirators Matthew Darjanny and Joseph Lachnit, testified at Smith’s trial that he was the leader of PGL.
In spite of Smith’s conviction and the dismantling of his snake-oil business, there are some who believe his dangerous concoction can cure their ailments, according to the Washington Post. A church called the Genesis II Church of Health & Healing still advocates for the Mineral Miracle Solution online, in spite of categorical evidence that Smith’s compound is dangerous.
The Washington Post also reported that deceased patient Sylvia Fink took the Mineral Miracle Solution in an effort to protect herself from malaria while on a South Seas vacation. According to her husband, Fink died as a result of taking the compound, which he blames for her death.
The Project Greenlife case was investigated by agents of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Christopher E. Parisi and Timothy T. Finley of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch in Washington, D.C.