Gordon Pedersen, a resident of Cedar Hills, Utah, gained notoriety for his bold claims about the healing properties of silver. Dressed in a white lab coat with a stethoscope, Pedersen presented himself as “Dr. Gordon Pedersen” on YouTube, promoting “structured silver” as a cure-all. His assertions, particularly that silver could prevent, cure, and treat COVID-19, caught the attention of federal regulators.
Despite presenting himself as a medical professional, Pedersen was not a licensed doctor. His website, My Doctor Suggests, sold various silver products, claiming they could kill viruses, bacteria, and yeast. These claims required approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which they lacked. The FDA intervened, seeking an injunction to halt his sales, emphasizing their commitment to stopping those who prioritized profits over public health during the pandemic.
Pedersen managed to evade authorities for nearly three years, only to be arrested in Utah County in August 2023. He pleaded guilty to two fraud charges in March, leading to other charges being dropped. U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow highlighted the seriousness of Pedersen’s actions during the sentencing.
During the early days of the pandemic, sales of silver products on Pedersen’s website surged, generating at least $5.4 million in sales from 2018 to 2020. Pedersen, who owned a quarter of the company, was its public face, exploiting the fear and uncertainty caused by the pandemic to promote his unverified treatments. He claimed that his “structural alkaline silver” could destroy the virus by vibrating at a frequency that rendered it harmless.
Pedersen’s promotion of silver’s supposed benefits wasn’t new; he had been advocating for its use long before the coronavirus emerged. His YouTube channel, now deleted, featured him in his office surrounded by degrees, awards, and research papers, all of which he used to bolster his credibility. He also authored two books on the subject, available on Amazon, detailing the supposed medical benefits of “structured silver.”
Despite his fervent belief in silver’s healing properties, Pedersen’s actions were deemed harmful. Judge Barlow acknowledged Pedersen’s genuine belief in his claims but stressed that promoting an unproven remedy for serious conditions, including COVID-19, was dangerous. Barlow sentenced Pedersen to three years in prison for mail fraud and selling misbranded drugs with intent to defraud and mislead, along with two years of supervised probation.
My Doctor Suggests LLC, the company Pedersen co-owned, severed ties with him, pleaded guilty to false marketing, and agreed to issue refunds to deceived consumers. Pedersen’s legal troubles were compounded by his attempts to evade arrest, including filing frivolous “sovereign citizen” claims and remaining on the run for three years with assistance from others.
At his sentencing, Pedersen, now 64, apologized and requested mercy from the court but remained adamant about his belief in silver’s efficacy. His health had deteriorated while in custody, with a bandage covering most of his nose due to likely skin cancer. Ironically, the treatment prescribed to him was Silvadene, a topical cream containing silver sulfadiazine, underscoring the ultimate tragedy and irony of his situation.