PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A New Jersey man who sold pesticides and falsely claimed they would kill coronavirus has pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court.
From March 2020 to May 2021, Paul Andrecola’s scheme defrauded more than 75 victims, including at least four federal agencies, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office District of New Jersey.
Andrecola, 63 from Maple Shade in Burlington County, pleaded guilty to knowingly distributing or selling an unregistered pesticide, wire fraud, and presenting false claims to the United States.
He admitted to selling $2.7 million in pesticides that he claimed were registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as being effective against COVID-19, according to U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger. He manufactured various disinfectant products, including liquids and wipes, under the brand name GCLEAN.
Officials said Andrecola placed another company’s EPA registration on his company’s products and then sold them to dozens of customers.
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They included a police department in Delaware, a fire department in Virginia, a medical clinic in Georgia, a janitor supply company in New York, a school district in Wisconsin, and federal agencies including the U.S. Marshal Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Forest Service, and even Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.
Andrecola faces a maximum combined sentence of up to 26 years in prison. He also agreed to forfeit the money from the sales of the items, as well as restitution.
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