A jury this week found a San Diego man guilty of multiple counts of selling unapproved medical devices to people with illnesses ranging from ulcers to AIDS.
The jury in U.S. District Judge John Houston’s courtroom found that between 1997 and last month, James Folsom, 68, sold altered and misbranded bio frequency devices across state lines. All told, Folsom was found guilty of 26 felony counts. Folsom faces a total of more than 140 years in prison if the jury levies the maximum sentence on all 26 counts.
Bio frequency devices are devices that emit frequency waves that some people say promote health and wellness. However, any device that is used to diagnose, alleviate or cure an illness must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Folsom sold the devices under the names “NatureTronics,” “AstroPulse,” “BioSolutions,” “Energy Wellness” and “Global Wellness.” Users of the devices sold by Folsom were provided with an operating manual that provided hundreds of settings for illnesses ranging from AIDS, diabetes, stroke and ulcers to worms, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Karen P. Hewitt.
Folsom, who sometimes used the name Jim Anderson, sold more than 9,000 of these devices during the past decade for a total of more than $8 million, according to trial testimony. He was first arrested in October 2007, but continued to sell the devices while out on bail, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson, who prosecuted the case.
Folsom’s sentencing is scheduled for May 11.