Prison for selling bleach as Covid cure
Man found guilty of 29 charges under Medicines Act The way in which Mr Blake seized upon the tragedy of the Covid pandemic as a money-making opportunity gives the offending more gravity, in my view.
Aman who “seized upon the tragedy of the Covid pandemic as a money-making opportunity” by selling bleach as a cure for the virus, making his company more than $100,000 during the global event, has been sent to jail.
Yesterday, Roger Blake — who goes by the name “Roger William living man” — appeared before Judge Brett Crowley in Hamilton District Court.
The public gallery was near capacity with people there in support of Blake who was being sentenced on 29 charges he was found guilty of at an earlier trial.
The charges related to breaches laid by Medsafe under the Medicines Act, along with others of obstructing a Ministry of Health officer.
There were also charges of making a false statement about himself and his company possessing, advertising and selling products dubbed “MMS”, or Miracle Mineral Solution; essentially chlorine dioxide — bleach — mixed with water.
The MMS solution has been falsely promoted as a cure for a number of illnesses.
Blake had previously been warned about promoting the product in 2009, 2010, and 2011, when it was then claimed it cured cancer.
However, when the pandemic kicked off in February 2020, he and his company began to market it as a cure for Covid.
In court, Crown prosecutor Paige Noorland said there was a degree of commerciality to his offending, explaining the company’s profits shot up by 265 per cent between December 2019 and mid-july 2020 and saw it bank at least $106,798.76.
While she submitted the offending was not overly sophisticated, he did target vulnerable people and it involved “scaremongering to the highest degree” given it occurred during a global pandemic.
When asked for his thoughts on sentencing by Judge Crowley, Blake said: “As a God-fearing man, I am remorseful for any inconvenience or damages . . . and I do acknowledge and accept responsibility for all my actions.”
He felt he had “paid back my debt to society” for the events over the past three-and-a-half years, mostly with the 28 days he had already spent in custody.
Judge Crowley said: “The way in which Mr Blake seized upon the tragedy of the Covid pandemic as a money-making opportunity gives the offending more gravity, in my view.”
As well as jailing Blake for 10 months and two weeks, Judge Crowley also ordered Blake to pay half the costs incurred by Medsafe of $4620.
He granted Blake leave to apply for home detention should he wish to work with probation and complete a report.
Blake had already spent 28 days in custody after he refused to sign a bail bond during an appearance in December following Judge Crowley’s finding of guilt on the 29 charges.