HOUSTON (AP) - The operator of a Brownsville clinic who was not licensed to practice medicine in Texas has been sentenced to five years in prison in a stem cell treatment case.
A federal judge in Houston on Thursday sentenced 54-year-old Francisco Morales of Brownsville and ordered repayment of nearly $480,000.
Morales and 60-year-old Lawrence Stowe, formerly of Fort Worth, in 2012 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to introduce misbranded and unapproved new drugs into interstate commerce. Investigators say Stowe, who awaits sentencing, also falsely presented himself as a licensed doctor.
Prosecutors say Morales sold an unapproved stem cell drug product to Stowe, knowing Stowe would sell the item to patients.
Morales publicly claimed to have extensive training and experience with stem cells and therapy. Prosecutors say he only attended seminars and read research.
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