Bogus 'Energy Wave' Devices Get Former Carlsbad Man Prison Time

SAN DIEGO, CA: A former Carlsbad resident was sentenced in federal court Monday to 30 months in custody for selling unapproved devices touted as a cure for various serious illnesses and medical conditions.

In a plea agreement, David Perez, 60, admitted to using a website to market the so-called "Energy Wave" devices, which consisted of a micro-current frequency generator with a digital readout, two stainless-steel cylinders and a pair of application plates.

Buyers were provided with an operating manual and a list of codes that set forth more than 450 settings supposedly calibrated to treat specific conditions, from abdominal pain, AIDS and diabetes to stroke, ulcer and worms, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego.

Users were directed to connect the cylinders or plates to the machine and touch them to the body for a certain run time to treat each particular condition.

Perez admitted to selling each device for $1,200 to $1,500 and receiving gross proceeds of about $271,000. He also acknowledged that he intended to defraud and mislead the Food and Drug Administration and evade its oversight of medical claims.

Perez, who now lives in Medford, Oregon, also conceded that he knew or should have known that he was marketing the device without the proper FDA approvals and that some of his customers were vulnerable because they had purchased an Energy Wave machine to try to cure cancer or some other life- threatening ailment.

"It's unconscionable to sell useless medical devices to critically ill people who are hoping for a miracle," U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said.

"This sentence reflects the serious nature of this crime and our commitment to protecting those who are most vulnerable to being preyed upon by heartless predators."

—City News Service

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