California Doctor Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison For Fake Cancer Cure
Dr. Christine Daniel was sentenced to 168 months (or 14 years) in federal prison Friday for selling a fake herbal cure to patients suffering from diseases including cancer, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.
"The scope of Daniel's fraud was breathtaking," said U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte, Jr. "Daniel robbed victims of more than money — she also stole their hopes and dreams for a cure. Daniel is responsible for a shockingly cold-hearted fraud that has brought her a richly deserved federal prison sentence."
Daniel, 58, is a medical doctor and prominent Pentecostal minister. She collected more than $1 million for medical treatment from dozens of victims across the U.S., claiming that she had an herbal cure for various incurable diseases. Daniel told patients that her cancer cure had a 60 to 80 percent success rate for advanced cancers.
Experts found through chemical analysis that Daniel's treatment contained sunscreen preservative and beef extract flavoring, neither of which have been proven to even remotely treat cancer. She marketed them under names like "C-Extract," "the natural treatment," and "the herbal treatment," charging customers thousands of dollars for anywhere from one week to six months of treatment.
According to the government's sentencing memorandum, Daniel personally met with patients in her office and told them that she had a miracle cure that could save their lives.
Debra Harris, whose sister was one of Daniel's patients, wrote in a letter to the court, "I live with the guilt that I should have seen that none of what she was going through was helping her, but instead was hurting her." Harris's sister died after undergoing Daniel's treatment.
On top of all of her unscrupulous behavior before being arrested and charged, Daniel also attempted to influence the testimony of witnesses who were called to testify at grand jury. One of those witnesses admitted during trial that Daniel improperly influenced his testimony.
In addition to her prison sentence, United States District Judge Robert J. Timlin ordered Daniel to forfeit $1,277,083 as part of her punishment for the crime.
Daniel "repeatedly demonstrated a merciless and callous indifference to the suffering of her patients and their family members," Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Johns wrote in court documents. "It is unlikely that our federal criminal justice system will see the like of defendant Christine Daniel again."