New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty for $2.7 Million in Pesticide Sales Claiming Effectiveness Against COVID-19

A man in hazmat suit sprays disinfectant as a preventative measure against COVID-19 in a transport hub next to Yanqing that host the alpine skiing and sliding venues ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on Jan. 31, 2022. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to charges of fraud after selling $2.7 million worth of pesticides claiming to be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and as being effective against COVID-19.

Paul Andrecola, 63, of Maple Shade, New Jersey, has been charged with “one count of knowingly distributing or selling an unregistered pesticide in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), one count of wire fraud, and one count of presenting false claims to the United States,” according to the Justice Department.