Tulare County doctor pleads guilty to drug labelling scam

VISALIA – A Tulare County doctor has pleaded guilty to illegally distributing misbranded drugs, according to a press release from the U.S. District Attorney’s Office. 

Stephen D. Meis, M.D., 73, along with his business partner Huu Tieu, 62, are alleged to have distributed a combination of drugs and supplements marketed for treating COVID-19. The product was called the “Emergency D-Virus Plan of Care.”

Prosecutors claim the supplements included an information sheet that stated the drug cocktail was “uniquely qualified to treat and modify the course of the virus epidemic in China and other countries.” The drugs were shipped across state lines in violation of federal law.

The company operated by Meis and Tieu, called Golden Sunrise, also claimed to be the first product in the U.S. to be approved for treating COVID-19 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA never reviewed products from Golden Sunrise and did not approve the supplements for use. 

The case was prosecuted by several federal agencies, including the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office assisted in the prosecution. 

Tieu was previously sentenced for his role in the scheme and is serving 18 months. Meis is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14 and faces 12 months and a fine of $100,000.