CAMDEN, N.J. (1010 WINS) – A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to selling $2.7 million in pesticides claiming that it would kill coronavirus and lying that it was registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice announced on Thursday.
Paul Andrecola, 63, of Maple Shade confessed to selling unregistered pesticide in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), wire fraud, and of presenting false claims to the United States.
“Andrecola not only cheated dozens of people out of millions of dollars but also endangered the health of those who relied on his fraudulent virucidal products,” Todd Kim, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, said. “The Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting such crimes to the fullest extent possible.”
FIFRA regulates the sales, distribution, and use of pesticides to ensure that the sales are sade, effective, and bear labeling true and accurate information. The EPA is responsible for regulating the manufacturing and labeling of all pesticide shipments.
During the beginning of the global pandemic, the EPA created a special list of EPA-registered products that it saw to be effective against COVID.
Andrecola, under the brand GCLEAN, manufactured multiple disinfectant products, including liquids and wipe. GCLEAN was not registered with FIFRA and none of the products were listed on EPA’s list for effective disinfection against COVID.
No person may distribute or sell a pesticide that has not been registered with the EPA, according to the DOJ.
Andrecola placed another company’s EPA registration numbers on his company’s products and falsely marketed that his products were EPA-approved to kill coronavirus by creating numerous false documents to support his claims.
Andrecola persuaded potential clients from March 2020 through May 2021 to purchase his GCLEAN products by providing falsified documentation.
He made over 150 sales of unregistered pesticides for a profit of more than $2.7 million.
The purchasers of these unregistered pesticides were big organizations and departments including a police department in Delaware, a fire department in Virginia, a medical clinic in Georgia, a janitorial supply company in New York, a school district in Wisconsin, and numerous U.S. Government agencies, including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Moody Air Force Base, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Forest Service.
The charge of wire fraud is punishable by a penalty of 20 years in prison and the count of false claims against the United States is punishable by a penalty of five years. Each is subject to fines of $250,000, twice the gross profits to Andrecola, or twice the gross loss suffered by the victims, whichever is greatest.
Andrecola agreed to forfeit $2.74 million as part of the plea agreement.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 11, 2022.
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