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United States of America v. Keith Lawrence Middlebrook
Date: 01-06-2025
Case Number:
Judge: Dale S. Fischer
Court: The United States District Court for the Central District of California
Plaintiff's Attorney: The States United Attorney’s Office for Los Angeles
Defendant's Attorney: Click Here For The Best Los Angeles, California Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory
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Los Angeles, California criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Soliciting Investors for Shell Companies Peddling Bogus COVID Cure
Part-Time Actor from O.C. Sentenced to Over 8 Years in Prison for Soliciting Investors for Shell Companies Peddling Bogus COVID Cure
An Orange County man and part-time actor was sentenced to 98 months in federal prison for soliciting investors in companies that marketed what in fact were a bogus cure and treatment for COVID-19 during the pandemic's early days.
Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, 57, of Huntington Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also fined him $25,000 and ordered him immediately remanded to federal custody to begin serving his prison sentence.
At the conclusion of a three-day trial in May 2024, a jury found Middlebrook guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud.
In March 2020, Middlebrook solicited potential investors in California, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Colorado via text messages, videos and statements posted on YouTube and Instagram about his purported cure for COVID-19. Middlebrook called this so-called cure "QC20,†and he also marketed a purported COVID treatment, which he called "QP20.â€
Middlebrook claimed to have personally developed a "patent-pending†cure and a treatment to prevent coronavirus infection. Middlebrook fraudulently solicited investments in various companies with a series of false promises. These fraudulent claims included miraculous results from the prevention product and the cure, risk-free and 100 percent guaranteed "enormous returns†on investments,†and that former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Earvin "Magic†Johnson was a director and officer of Middlebrook's company. He induced victims to invest their money by promising them enormous returns. Judge Fischer based Middlebrook's sentence in part on finding that he obstructed justice by his lying on the witness stand when he testified about his purported relationship and business dealings with Johnson.
To bolster these claims, Middlebrook lied that a party in Dubai had offered to purchase his companies for $10 billion, and this offer would secure the victim-investors' investments in the companies. He also lied that he had secured funding from seven investors who had each already invested between $750,000 and $1 million.
The FBI arrested Middlebrook in this case in March 2020 after Middlebrook delivered pills – purportedly the treatment that prevents coronavirus infection – to an undercover agent who was posing as an investor.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth R. Carbajal of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Joseph S. Guzman of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 98 months in federal prison
About This Case
What was the outcome of United States of America v. Keith Lawrence Middlebrook?
The outcome was: Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 98 months in federal prison
Which court heard United States of America v. Keith Lawrence Middlebrook?
This case was heard in The United States District Court for the Central District of California, CA. The presiding judge was Dale S. Fischer.
Who were the attorneys in United States of America v. Keith Lawrence Middlebrook?
Plaintiff's attorney: The States United Attorney’s Office for Los Angeles. Defendant's attorney: Click Here For The Best Los Angeles, California Criminal Defense Lawyer Directoryfont >.
When was United States of America v. Keith Lawrence Middlebrook decided?
This case was decided on January 6, 2025.