‘Natural Healer' Convicted
In August 2006, a federal judge sentenced John E. Curran to 12.5 years in prison for fraud and money laundering. Promoting himself as a natural healer and posing as a medical doctor, Curran operated the Northeastern Institute for Advanced Natural Healing in Providence, R.I. He made false claims about his qualifications, educational background, and training.Curran sold bogus products called "E-water" and "Green Drink." In promotional materials, Curran claimed to have cured people of cancer. One 17-year-old girl with ovarian cancer reportedly drank only Green Drink, a powdered vegetable drink, in the last weeks of her life.
In other instances, Curran used scare diagnosis tactics so that he could prescribe the phony cures to healthy people. Curran sold about 1.4 million dollars' worth of treatment and products after making his false diagnoses. He told patients they had "live parasites" in their blood, reduced blood cell counts, and ruined immune systems.
