Part-Time Actor From Orange County Guilty of Peddling Fake COVID Cure to Potential Investors

A part-time actor from Huntington Beach was found guilty May 10 of soliciting investments from a number of companies for a fake COVID-19 cure, the United States Attorney’s Office announced May 10. A jury found Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, 56, guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud, according to the statement. Middlebrook solicited multiple investors through text messages as well as videos and statements posted on YouTube and Instagram in March 2020, authorities said. He was arrested that month by the FBI after delivering pills of the alleged COVID-19 cure to an undercover agent posing as an investor, the Attorney’s Office revealed. Middlebrook claimed to have a miraculous “patent-pending” cure for COVID-19, which he called “QC20” and a preventive treatment, called “QP20”. He falsely promised the investments would have 100 percent guaranteed “enormous returns” completely risk-free, the statement said....