On December 12th, the U.S. District Court of New Jersey sentenced Elizabeth Lerner, a.k.a. Elizabeth Cooperman, to 33 months in prison for “falsely claiming that she could cure amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly called ‘Lou Gehrig’s Disease.'” Her crime partner, former osteopath Charlene C. DeMarco, was sentenced to 57 months back in September.

The two women claimed “they could treat ALS patients with stem cell therapy, even though they knew they could not. The defendants falsely told their patients and their families that DeMarco had previously received FDA approval to treat ALS.”

“FDA Investigation Leads to Prison Sentence for Woman Who Claimed to Cure ‘Lou Gehrig’s Disease'” [FDA]
(Photo: Getty)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.