“Bleach Church” family on trial, self-represented in court. A family from Florida is currently facing trial in Miami for allegedly running a counterfeit church and profiting over $1 million by deceitfully selling toxic industrial bleach as a miraculous cure for various illnesses, including HIV, cancer, and COVID-19. The accused are Mark Grenon, 65, and his sons Jonathan, 37, Joseph, 35, and Jordan, 29. They, along with their pseudo-religious organization, Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, based in Bradenton, are charged with federal crimes related to conspiracy to defraud the United States and the sale of misbranded drugs. The trial began on Monday.
Charged with Fraud: The Florida Family on Trial
Following the charges filed in 2020, Jonathan and Jordan Grenon were arrested in Bradenton. However, Mark and Joseph fled to Colombia, where they were apprehended by local authorities and subsequently extradited to the United States.
During the trial, the four men appeared in matching beige inmate uniforms, sporting beards and ponytails, as reported by the Miami Herald. Interestingly, the Grenons have chosen to represent themselves throughout the proceedings, but they opted not to provide an opening statement, a peculiar legal tactic.
A Courtroom Drama: The Grenon Family’s Stand
While the Grenons remained silent, federal prosecutors took the opportunity to deliver their opening statements. They portrayed the accused family members as fraudulent individuals and “snake-oil salesmen” who attempted to evade federal regulations by disguising their bleach business as a religious organization. The Grenons purportedly referred to themselves as “bishops” and sold bleach solutions as “sacraments” in exchange for supposed church “donations.”
Prosecutor Michael Homer called Food and Drug Administration special agent Jose Rivera to testify. Rivera was the lead investigator in an undercover operation involving the Grenons, during which he purchased multiple bottles of their “Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS).” When correctly prepared with an activator, MMS transforms into chlorine dioxide, an industrial bleaching agent.
At one point, Rivera, using an alias, expressed dissatisfaction to the Grenons, stating that the MMS he acquired did not improve his fictitious wife’s cancer after three weeks of use. In response, one of the Grenon sons advised him that she would need to continue using the solution for a more extended period to witness any supposed miraculous effects.
Prosecution’s Case: Unmasking the Alleged “Con Men”
Questioned on why the Grenons conducted their MMS sales through a pseudo-religious enterprise, Rivera stated, “To get around government regulation and not go to jail.” Prosecutors Homer and John Shipley asserted that the Grenons had been illegally selling tens of thousands of MMS bottles since 2010 when Grenon claimed to have co-founded the “church” with Jim Humble, who bizarrely claimed to be a billion-year-old god from the Andromeda galaxy. Humble reportedly disassociated himself from the church in 2017.
In 2019, the FDA issued warnings to consumers about the adverse effects of the Grenons’ products, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, life-threatening low blood pressure from dehydration, and acute liver failure.
Defiance and Persistence: The Grenons’ Response to Court Orders
Despite facing federal court orders to halt MMS sales in 2020, the Grenons continued with their business. In a letter to a federal judge, they proclaimed their intent to practice “civil disobedience” against the perceived unjust order, asserting that such disobedience was permissible under the US Constitution. They also mentioned the Second Amendment, implying that they would resort to force if necessary.
In the same letter, the Grenons adamantly declared their determination to continue providing their sacraments to the world, maintaining that the Department of Justice and the FDA had no authority over their church. “Bleach Church” family on trial, self-represented in court.
The trial is ongoing, and its outcome will determine the fate of the Grenon family and their controversial pseudo-religious organization.
