WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 4 (UPI) -- A south Florida couple has been charged with manufacturing infant formula and using it to collect more than $1 million in a stock scam.
Brian Bishop and his wife with homes in Lighthouse Point and West Palm Beach were charged with 75 counts, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Friday.
The charges included mishandling food in interstate commerce, securities fraud and money laundering. Penalties range from five to 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos Castillo said a dozen babies in Florida drank the formula and at least that number of cans went overseas. There have been no injuries or illnesses reported.
An indictment said the couple sold more than $1.14 million in stock in their company, Baby's Best Infant Formula, from 1997 to 2001.
About 1,300 cans of the food have been produced, starting in 1988.
The indictment said the couple told investors that the formula's clinical tests were near completion, although in reality they had not started.
