Couple faces up to 165 years in prison for alleged whole-body imaging scam
An Arizona couple could face up to 165 years in prison each, if convicted for an alleged whole-body imaging scam spanning over a decade.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero on Jan. 22 announced the unsealing of an indictment against Mary and Floyd “Fred” Blakley, who have used various aliases. Authorities claim that, as far back as 2011, the 75-year-old, her husband and associates have charged patients approximately $300 for “whole body scans” using an ultrasound machine.
The Blakleys allegedly told customers that—through the deployment of “smart chip” technology invented by “Dr. Mary”—these exams could diagnose a wide variety of diseases. Among them were leukemia and other blood cancers, along with candida fungus growth in the bowel, authorities said. Mary and Fred Blakley also purportedly claimed the scanners could perform procedures such as colonoscopies, prostate exams and electrocardiograms.
Based on their ultrasounds, the two “falsely and fraudulently prescribed to their human clients various supplements, creams and veterinary products as treatments for conditions purportedly discovered during the full body scans.” Other patients were told Mary Blakley’s technology could “drive” a substance called Aetheion into the body to kill cancer, “clean” the lungs and brainstem, and remove kidney stones.
“In fact, neither the purported ‘smart chip’ technology nor the substances prescribed by the defendants had been approved by the FDA to treat diseases in human beings,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said in an announcement shared last Wednesday.
Authorities said the scheme continued up through December, with recent locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Clinics went by names such as Sonic Waves Research, Living Well Warriors, The Blakley Foundation, Health Screenings 4 Life, and the London Bridge Wellness Center, among others. Mary, meanwhile, used various last names including Blakely, Blakleley, Blakeley, Blankley, Cammer, Davis, Petry, Shjlom, and Venable. Marye, Marye Yvonnea, Rosemary, Rose Mary, Rose, and Yvonne were among the first names she went by, the FBI said in a separate notice.
Federal authorities are now seeking patients treated by these clinics, with information on how to contact them here. Fred and Mary Blakley of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, are charged with mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The wife allegedly posed as a doctor/PhD as far back as 2002.
“It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law,” the FBI emphasized.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.