A San Diego company and its owner pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges related to unlawfully importing, selling and mailing an unregistered pesticide product from Japan marketed for its purported ability to kill airborne viruses like COVID-19.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the product, EcoAirDoctor, was represented to emit a gas that would kill viruses within a certain distance, and was falsely described as an air purifier, rather than a pesticide.
Samir Haj, 46, owner of EcoShield LLC, admitted to selling the product despite lacking the proper registration, as required for pesticides in the United States, as well as falsely declaring the product’s value when importing it to the United States, resulting in an underpayment of customs duty of $33,919, prosecutors said.
The product was also shipped to customers despite containing sodium chlorite, which cannot be mailed under U.S. postal rules and regulations due to its propensity to cause fires and explosions, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“This defendant took advantage of COVID-19 fears to market an illegal product,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “We are aggressively pursuing opportunists who exploit the pandemic to make money.”
Sentencing is slated for Aug. 13. As part of the plea agreements, Haj and EcoShield also agreed to forfeit $427,689, the proceeds from the sale of EcoAirDoctor. The company also agreed to pay a fine of $42,000, with $86,754 to be paid in restitution for the unpaid duty and cost of disposing the products that were not sold.
“This individual violated several federal laws and jeopardized public safety by marketing and selling an unproven device,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations. “It’s despicable that he preyed upon people’s fear of COVID-19 to turn a profit.”
