(The Center Square) – Attorney General Brenna Bird said two people misled Iowans about stem-cell treatment, bilking them out of $1.5 million.
Rylee Meek and Scott Thomas did business as Summit Partners Group LLC and Biologics Health LLC, according to the lawsuit filed by Bird in Polk County District Court.
The two use mailers to invite residents to a dinner, where attendees were told about the treatments, which cost about $9,000 each. The dinners were held between June and December of 2019 at eight different Iowa venues, according to the lawsuit. Thomas and Bird never had an office in Iowa but operated remotely.
“Neither Defendant Meek nor Defendant Thomas are healthcare providers,” the complaint said. “They are self-described, ‘internationally recognized sales trainers’ and creators and principals of ‘Social-Dynamic Selling.’ ‘Social-Dynamic Selling’ is a company that sells a “value-based approach to lead generation” that “combines a free dinner with an informative seminar…”
At least 205 Iowans purchased the treatments, spending a cumulative amount of $1.5 million, the lawsuit said. But the claims that the treatments repair damaged tissues and were safe were misleading, Bird said in a news release on Wednesday.
“Taking advantage of Iowans suffering from health issues is illegal and dangerous,” Bird said. “Iowans should not have to fear being ripped off for fake stem cell therapies that expose them to major health risks, such as life-threatening blood infections, blindness, and tumor formation.”
While the suit stresses patients were put in danger, it didn’t note any injuries sustained from the allegedly fraudulent treatments.
Bird is asking the court to order Meek and Thomas to return the money to the customers. She is asking for a judgment of $40,000 for each violation of the Consumer Fraud Act and Door-to-Door Sales Act and a $5,000 civil penalty for each violation.
