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A Missouri state lawmaker and medical professional was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of selling fake stem cell treatments through her three clinics in the southern part of the state.
Assistant physician Patricia Ashton Derges (R) of Nixa, Missouri elected in November 2020 to represent Christian County in southwest Missouri was charged in a 20-count indictment for making false claims about the treatment, and for illegally providing prescription narcotics to patients at her clinics.
The investigation began in April 2020 when Derges went on a local TV station to promote stem cells for treating COVID-19. That month, she made similar claims in a Facebook post: This amazing treatment stands to provide a potential cure for COVID-19 patients that is safe and natural.
| Credit: Larry French/Getty
A Missouri state representative was indicted after she allegedly falsely claimed a treatment she was marketing contained stem cells that could treat COVID-19 and other diseases.
Patricia Derges, a Republican from Nixa, Missouri, was charged with eight counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of distributing Oxycodone and Adderall over the internet and two counts of making false statements to federal agents. Get push notifications with news, features and more. + Follow
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The 20-count indictment, unsealed Monday, alleged that 63-year-old Derges administered amniotic fluid to patients at three clinics in southern Missouri. She allegedly falsely claimed the fluid contained stem ce