ServisMed, LLC, a company based in Pensacola, Florida, has pleaded guilty and received sentencing for conspiring to violate the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court documents, ServisMed distributed an unregistered pesticide product during the COVID-19 pandemic from March to December 2020. The company marketed this product as a disinfectant intended to fight COVID-19 without obtaining registration from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as required by law. Distribution included sales to a local law enforcement agency and attempts to export the product to Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Law enforcement agencies intervened and prevented foreign exports valued at over $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “This company broke the law by exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to enrich itself through the deceptive distribution of a chemical agent that had not been registered or approved for use on humans. This conviction and sentence holds this company accountable for its corporate criminal conduct, and should serve as a deterrent against future criminal schemes that endanger our community.”
Proper registration and labeling of pesticides used on humans are intended to protect public health and safety during both domestic use and international transport.
As part of its plea agreement, ServisMed will pay $13,330 in restitution to the affected local law enforcement agency, pay a $40,000 fine, forfeit products valued at over $250,000 that were meant for export, and dissolve as a business entity.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Martel of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division commented: “The defendant in this case sold unregistered pesticides in the midst of a global pandemic and sought to profit from people’s fears of contracting the coronavirus. The sentencing demonstrates that corporations will be held criminally responsible for placing the public at risk by failing to ensure the integrity and safety of their products.”
The investigation involved cooperation between the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices serving under direction from the Attorney General. Additional information about this office can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
