A part-time actor was sentenced to eight years for selling a fake COVID-19 cure, claiming ties to the show ‘Ballers’
Huntington Beach: So, there’s this part-time actor, Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, who thought he could pull a fast one during the pandemic. He claimed he inspired HBO’s Ballers and ended up getting eight years in federal prison for selling a fake COVID-19 cure.
Middlebrook, 57, was found guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud. He was sentenced recently and also has to cough up a $25,000 fine. The feds were not having it, especially since he was trying to reel in investors with his so-called miracle cure.
At the height of the pandemic, he was sending out texts and posting videos on social media, pitching his “cure” called QC20. He even had another product he called QP20. He claimed he had a “patent-pending” treatment that could prevent COVID-19. Talk about a wild claim!
Things took a turn for him in March 2020 when the FBI caught him delivering pills to an undercover agent who was pretending to be an investor. That’s when the walls started closing in.
After a three-day trial, the jury didn’t buy his story. During sentencing, Middlebrook tried to defend himself by saying he consulted with a bunch of lawyers and doctors. But that didn’t help his case.
He even tried to drag former Lakers star Magic Johnson into his mess, claiming Johnson was involved with his company. But when Johnson testified, he flat-out denied knowing Middlebrook or being part of any of his business ventures. Ouch!
The judge wasn’t impressed and said Middlebrook obstructed justice by lying about his relationship with Johnson. After all that, Middlebrook was taken into custody right after his sentencing. He’s got a long road ahead.
Before all this, he had small roles in movies like “Iron Man 2” and “Moneyball.” He even claimed that Ballers was based on his life. Guess he won’t be getting any more acting gigs anytime soon!
