By Pepper Fisher
Tacoma – A former Port Angeles naturopathic physician was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 8 months in prison and one year of supervised release for a federal felony related to his misbranding of products he claimed could prevent and treat numerous serious diseases, including COVID-19 and MRSA.
69-year-old Richard Marschall was convicted last year in October following a 4-day trial. The jury found Marschall guilty of Introduction of Misbranded Drugs into Interstate Commerce, his third conviction for the same crime since 2011.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Benjamin Settle said Marschall has a long history of lying to patients about their health and his treatments, which he described as particularly troubling during a pandemic.
In March of last year, FDA investigators began reviewing postings on Facebook and a website linked to Marschall that claimed a “Dynamic Duo” of substances could kill viruses, including the coronavirus. An undercover agent ordered the drugs, which contained garlic extract and larch tree starch, for $140 plus shipping.
Marschall operated the Natural Healing Clinic in Port Angeles before it was shut down in 2013. Until his sentencing Monday, Marschall has continued to perform locally with his band Cool Jam and the Marmalades.