Montreal fraudster sentenced to 3 years in U.S. prison for weight-loss scheme
Michel Poirier defrauded victims of $1.8 million between 2011 and 2016 using fake testimonials and non-existent guarantees.
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A Montreal man has been sentenced to three years in federal U.S. prison for orchestrating a mass marketing fraud scheme that targeted American printing companies and consumers with bogus weight-loss products.
Michel Poirier, 60, received his sentence in a Wisconsin courthouse on June 10 after pleading guilty to mail fraud in March following extradition from Canada. Between 2011 and 2016, Poirier defrauded victims of $1.8 million, hiring U.S. printing companies to mail brochures promoting weight-loss products without paying them. The brochures included fake testimonials from clients and doctors, and advertised a non-existent money-back guarantee.
Poirier was operating out of Canada during the scheme. The judge cited the length and scope of the operation as factors in determining the prison term.