By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-06 22:05:14 | Updated at 2025-01-08 03:58:52
1 day ago
A part-time actor from California who played a cop in two Iron Man movies was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison selling a fake cure to COVID-19.
Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, 57, was first arrested in March 2020 on a federal wire fraud charge for allegedly soliciting investments for a company to sell the phony medicine.
In May 2024, the Orange County resident was found guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud, according to the US Attorney's Office.
The criminal complaint against Middlebrook, who is also a bodybuilder, alleged he 'claimed to have personally developed a "patent-pending" cure and a treatment that prevents coronavirus infection.'
Before appearing in court on Monday morning, Middlebrook told the Los Angeles Times he was 'completely innocent.'
During the hearing, he claimed that he had worked with seven lawyers and eight doctors 'from the very beginning, for a product of this magnitude.'
'It is clear that Mr. Middlebrook still denies that he has committed any crime, which causes significant concern that he will continue to commit similar crimes in the future,' District Judge Dale S. Fischer said.
The native Hawaiian, who has appeared in bit parts in nearly two dozen movies and TV shows over the years, including Moneyball and Thor, was promoting his bogus COVID-19 cures on Instagram in 2020.
Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, 57, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for selling a fake COVID-19 cure
Middlebrook released videos in 2020 offering an injection to cure the coronavirus (left) and a pill to prevent contracting the disease, which he said he was taking daily
Middlebrook played a police officer in Iron Man 2 and 3. He's had small roles in nearly two dozen movies
He was caught and arrested during a meeting with an 'investor' who was really an undercover FBI agent.
According to a 2020 affidavit, Middlebrook fraudulently solicited investments with promises of massive profits for a company he called Quantum Prevention CV Inc.
Middlebrook claimed that a party in Dubai had offered to buy his company for $10 billion to entice investors and that he was being funded by seven other parties, contributing anywhere from $7500,000 to $1 million.
He also falsely claimed that NBA legend Earvin 'Magic' Johnson was a member of the board of directors.
'Mr. Johnson confirmed to investigators that he knew nothing about Middlebrook’s company,' the document stated.
At trial, Johnson - who was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom - testified that he was never involved in Middlebrook's bogus company, the LA Times reported.
Middlebrook's attorney, Andrew Stein, accused the athlete of lying after the sentencing hearing.
'Magic Johnson is the biggest liar I've ever seen and we'll prove it,' Stein said. 'I believe Magic lied under oath to protect himself from being involved with this.'
Middlebrook claimed that he had been in contact with then-President Donald Trump to get his product approved
Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, who recently earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, denied any involvement in Middlebrook's company
Nearly five years ago, when Middlebrook started selling his fake product, he posted videos on social media boasting about his product.
In one Instagram video, he said he had created the cure for COVID-19, and he showed viewers a syringe with a clear liquid and described how his cure worked.
'After studying cell tissue and chemical biology for many years, I have created a cure for COV 19...COVID 19, the coronavirus, this is it right here,' Middlebrook said in the video while displaying the syringe.
Middlebrook shared a vague explanation of how his cure worked and said he injected the medicine into a coronavirus patient who had walked into a Los Angeles hospital suffering from 103 degree fever, cough and body aches.
According to Middlebrook, the patient walked out of the hospital 51 hours later with all of his vital signs back to normal and 'coronavirus negative.'
'So this is the cure right here going into mass production, and this is going to save and change the world,' he said in the video.
'So yes, I have a meeting set up with president Donald Trump. This is going into live play action right now to save the world.'
He also claimed to sell a drug that could prevent someone from contracting the virus.
The bodybuilder was arrested in 2020 after an undercover FBI agent pretended to be an investor
In another Instagram video, he showed a pill that he said prevented him from contracting COVID-19, according to the initial criminal complaint.
'I have what makes you immune to coronavirus,' Middlebrook said in the clip.
Until Monday, Middlebrook remained free on $150,000 bond. After court, he was taken into custody.
After he serves his prison sentence, the judge ordered three years of supervised release. He was also fined $25,000.
