Fraudulent COVID Product Claims Get Cherry Hill Man And His Company Indicted: Feds

PHILADELPHIA — A Cherry Hill man was federally indicted after authorities say his company falsely claimed its pesticide product could kill the COVID-19 virus.

James Young, 46, founded ViaClean Technologies — a Philadelphia company that claimed one of its products was effective against the coronavirus on surfaces, authorities said.

The product, a pesticide called BioProtect RTU, was marketed as a germ killer during the pandemic. However, the pesticide only inhibited the growth of odor- and stain-causing bacteria, the U.S. Attorney's Office of Eastern Pennsylvania said Tuesday.

In March 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said those claims were unsubstantiated and ordered ViaClean to stop marketing the product as such.

Young and ViaClean were both recently charged with mail fraud, conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

A co-defendant — Sean Storrie, 59, of Philadelphia — was charged with FIFRA violations.

Under FIFRA, products can only be marketed with public-health claims if they're registered with the EPA.

Young and Storrie made their initial appearances Tuesday afternoon at federal magistrate court in Philadelphia. ViaClean, as an entity, will make its first court appearance on Sept. 5.