Quincy Man Pleads Guilty To Selling Fake COVID-19 Repellent Lanyards
BOSTON (CBS) - A Quincy man has pleaded guilty to charges that he was selling a lanyard that falsely claimed to protect people from viruses.
Jiule Lin, 38, entered the plea in federal court in Boston Thursday. He faces up to a year in prison and a $25,000 fine when he's sentenced.
Back in the spring, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Lin posted an unregistered pesticide, "Toamit Virus Shut Out", for sale on eBay. It was supposed to be worn as a lanyard around the neck that would protect you from viruses and bacteria.
But, Toamit Virus Shut Out was not registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, making it illegal to sell and distribute.
"At the height of a raging pandemic killing thousands of people a day, this defendant tried to profit from conning people into believing that a pesticide-coated lanyard would protect them from viruses like COVID-19. This was dangerous, opportunistic fraud," U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said in a statement Friday.
A sentencing date for Lin has not been scheduled yet.