NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – A mother and son from Queens face fraud charges for allegedly hocking apricot seeds as a cure for cancer.
Police raided the home of 51-year-old Jason Vale and his mother 77-year-old mother, Barbara, Wednesday morning in Bellerose Manor where officials say they found numerous hazardous materials.
According to investigators, the two sold a apricot seed concotion from a website called Apricots From God, making nearly $1 million off desperate cancer patients.
The National Cancer Institute has found the cyanide contained in apricot seeds is poisonous.
Jason, who was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to five years in federal prison for peddling apricot seeds as a miracle drug, defended himself against the latest charges in an interview with CBS2.
"There are people that sent in testimonials, I know for myself it helped me. It made my tumors shrink, but we never use , I would never use the word cure. I know that, that's absurd," said Vale, a former arm wrestling world champion, says the cancer he suffered as a teenager has not returned. "The theory says when you eat two or three seeds a day you can knock 'em down with cancer."
He says he still eats up to 10 seeds a day.
Both were set to appear in federal court late Wednesday afternoon, but Jason was unable to appear before the judge due to an emergency room visit for an infection.Barbara Vale, 77, was able to go before the judge, was released on a $100,000 bond. Her son who was later contacted by authorities at his hospital bed was also given a $100,000 bond.