Fake diet pills: suspected fraudster risks extradition to the United States

A Montrealer who floods the internet with fake weight loss ads using unauthorized images of people risks extradition to the United States to be tried for fraud.

“He registered 94 domain names [pour publiciser les produits]. The advertising material contained false testimonies of clients and doctors whose photos were taken without authorization on the internet ”, we can read in the extradition request filed against Michel Poirier.

For years, 56-year-old Poirier would have been lining his pockets with an elaborate fraud betting on the desire of some to lose weight quickly. And according to American investigators, he was collecting money all over the place, whether from gullible consumers or from printing companies that made his flyers and were paid with bad checks.

And that’s without counting the theft of identity of doctors or personalities, which suggested that they endorsed the bogus product. A similar process was seen in Quebec last fall, with fake ads using, among other things, the names and photos of personalities such as actor Michel Charette, host Véronique Cloutier or doctor Alain Vadeboncœur.

Testimony of a doctor

“A doctor whose image was used will testify that he does not endorse the product, in addition to never having authorized the use of his photo,” indicate Wisconsin prosecutors who want to try Poirier.

As for consumers seduced by the idea of ​​losing weight easily and effortlessly, it was only their bank account that was tapped.

“A resident of Merrill, Wisconsin, saw an advertisement for the DoubleSlim product, gives the example of the American justice system. She sent a check which was cashed, but she received nothing. His request for reimbursement went unanswered. “

In five years, starting in 2011, Poirier would have made more than $ 2.2 million Canadian. According to the American authorities, it is from this money that Poirier paid the costs for various post office boxes in the United States and in Montreal, as well as for his websites.

Several names

Because to avoid being found, he regularly changed the name of the product while keeping the same false testimonies, we can read in the court document. The non-existent products were thus sold under the names BeSlim, Nuslim, Vigronetix or even Lipocitrex, among others.

“Poirier created and used empty typos in an effort to cover up and cover up the fraud,” US prosecutors say. He also used many aliases to hide his scheme. “

But it was without counting on an investigator of the American post office who finally managed to trace it back to Poirier. It was there that he discovered that the alleged fraudster allegedly even used his mother to cash the checks he received in the mail.

“She did not receive regular pay, instead, he occasionally offered her flowers or other gifts, or even small amounts of money,” says the extradition request, suggesting that she was unaware of his son’s schemes.

Poirier, who is out on bail in Montreal, will return to court in two weeks for further proceedings.

► Met at his home in the Villeray district, he declined to comment on the affair, preferring to close the door of his condo as soon as the team from the Journal introduced himself.

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