An Orange County resident and part-time actor has been sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for soliciting investments in companies falsely claiming to have developed a COVID-19 cure. Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, 57, from Huntington Beach, was handed a 98-month sentence by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. In addition to the prison term, Middlebrook was fined $25,000 and ordered into federal custody immediately.
Middlebrook was found guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud after a three-day trial concluded in May 2024. His fraudulent activities began in March 2020 when he reached out to potential investors across several states through text messages and social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. He promoted what he claimed were a cure named "QC20" and a treatment called "QP20" for COVID-19.
The court heard that Middlebrook made false promises about the effectiveness of his products and guaranteed substantial returns on investments. He also falsely claimed that former Los Angeles Lakers player Earvin “Magic” Johnson was involved with his company as a director and officer. Judge Fischer noted that Middlebrook's sentence took into account his obstruction of justice due to lying about his relationship with Johnson during testimony.
To further entice investors, Middlebrook fabricated stories about an alleged $10 billion offer from Dubai for his companies and claimed existing investments from seven individuals totaling between $750,000 and $1 million each.
The FBI arrested Middlebrook in March 2020 after he provided pills purportedly preventing coronavirus infection to an undercover agent posing as an investor.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth R. Carbajal and Joseph S. Guzman prosecuting the case.