Missouri Chiropractor Accused of Fraudulent Promotion of Vitamins During Pandemic

Vows to continue fighting despite government settlement offers

Missouri chiropractor Dr. Eric Napute is facing civil penalties totaling more than $500 billion in a government case claiming he fraudulently profited from selling and promoting Vitamin D3 and zinc during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Courtesy of Dr. Eric Napute)

A licensed Missouri chiropractor facing more than $500 billion in penalties for alleged false advertising of health supplements during the COVID pandemic says he plans to go to trial in August despite settlement offers from the government.

“I don’t care what amount of money they offer. I’m not interested in that at all,” Dr. Eric Nepute said. “The reality is the American government committed fraud against me.”

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks $508 billion in legal penalties after accusing Nepute of promoting vitamin D and zinc as a treatment or prophylactic for COVID-19, violating the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act of 2020.

In the government’s 27-page complaint, the FTC alleges Nepute illegally promoted and profited from the online sale of vitamin D and zinc during a COVID-19 public health emergency.

The government’s case includes more than 10 million alleged COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act violations and carries a $43,792 civil penalty for each alleged infringement.

That comes to well over $508 billion—an amount Nepute’s legal defense claims is worth more than multiple nations’ combined gross domestic product.

Nepute is the owner of Nepute Wellness Center in St. Louis.

The FTC complaint adds that Nepute used social media and internet advertising to promote and sell “Wellness Warrior Vita D,” a product the government claims Nepute billed as a treatment against COVID-19.

Nepute said many doctors and health care professionals now recommend vitamin D and zinc to strengthen natural immunity.

Medical Choice

However, Nepute said he clarified that people should get the COVID-19 vaccine or take supplements to boost immunity if they decide to do so.

Nepute said he plans to file a countersuit against the FTC for the same amount in punitive damages.

“All I want is my name cleared. I want to be made whole financially for the millions of dollars I’ve spent on legal fees and the $30 million in lost revenue in the past three years,” Nepute told The Epoch Times.

“I want a public apology, and I want a letter clearing my name so I can go back to the insurance companies, so I can go back to the banks that closed my accounts, so I can go to all these brokers on television who won’t let me on because [the FTC] blacklisted me.”

Since the FTC filed its case in a St. Louis Federal court, Nepute said his trial has been postponed several times—first in November, then in March, and rescheduled for Aug. 21.

Before then, Nepute said the government “desperately has been trying to settle this case with me.”

“The last thing is they want this case to go to trial. We’ve won this thing. They can’t beat us on merit. They can’t beat us on facts.”

Many foods can supply the recommended daily requirement for zinc. (Evan Lorne/Shutterstock)

He said that one settlement offer was a cash amount and a gag order that would prevent Nepute from discussing the case further in public.

Nepute said he could not reveal the amount offered in the settlement based on legal advice.

“Let me tell you, it’s not as much as Elon Musk has, but it’s a lot more than the average millionaire has,” Nepute said.

FTC Public Affairs spokesman Mitchell Katz said the agency had no comment regarding Nepute’s case or settlement offers.

He added that the FTC “does not comment on cases” currently in litigation.

Nepute estimates he’s spent about $4.5 million on his legal defense and lost two businesses due to the government’s intervention.

‘No Case From the Start’

“I’m pushing for sanctions against the lawyers in this case. We believe they’re bringing a [political] case before a federal judge that is not in good faith,” Nepute said.

In the meantime, FTC career staff reportedly have lost significant confidence in senior management since President Joe Biden appointed Lina Khan as chair in early 2021.

Since Khan’s appointment, two Republican FTC members have resigned to protest her leadership and politics.

Nepute said the government offered to negotiate a settlement through arbitration in March, an offer he refused.

“I turned down multiple settlement offers from the government because the big thing is they want to gag me. I want to go to trial. I have wanted to go to trial since the beginning. I’ve paid the price of admission. Hopefully, we get our day in court,” Nepute said.

“I’ve been falsely accused of fraud. What matters more to me than money is my reputation. I stand up for what’s right; the government can’t understand that. I’m clearing my name—no matter what it takes.”