Man acquitted of felony charges in cancer drug case
By CHRISTOPHER DIEM, Journal Staff WriterArticle Photos
After more than four hours of deliberation, the jury acquitted Schroeder of felony charges of introducing a misbranded drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. He was convicted of a lesser misdemeanor charge of introducing a drug — without the intent to defraud or mislead — into interstate commerce which was misbranded and manufactured in an establishment in Wisconsin which was not registered with the Food and Drug Administration. That charge is punishable by up to 1 year in prison or a $1,000 fine. He will be sentenced for that charge within the next 90 to 120 days.
According to testimony and evidence during the trial, Schroeder claimed that bovine colostrum — milk produced by cows after they give birth — could help fight cancer. The colostrum is rich with antibodies and is needed by calves to survive their first few days.
In a recorded conversation with an undercover federal agent from 2003, Schroeder allegedly said he injected pregnant cows with the blood of cancer patients. The antibodies produced in the colostrum would then be disease specific. After the birth of the calf, the colostrum would be collected, bottled and taken orally by the person wishing to be treated, Schroeder said.
“We respect the jury’s verdict,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Lochner, who prosecuted the case. “They obviously were very conscientious and they were very attentive. They worked hard and we respect their verdict.”
The news of the acquittal was especially pleasing to Genevieve Duford, of Vancouver, British Columbia, who testified for the defense on Thursday. Duford, 26, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia when she was 15. She said doctors told her she had a 4 percent chance of survival.
“I had heard about the treatment when I was 13 through my uncle who did business with (Schroeder). But I hadn’t really thought about it because 13-year-olds don’t think they’re going to have cancer when they’re 15,” she said.
Duford said that after conventional treatment failed to help her, she traveled to America and met Schroeder.
After a week of taking the colostrum supplied by Schroeder, Duford went back to her doctor in Canada.
“I had zero cancer in my body,” she said.
The cancer went into remission, but Duford relapsed in 2005. Through chemotherapy, Duford got better and is currently cancer free. She credits Schroeder with saving her life.
“One hundred percent I would not be here if it were not for Bill.” she said. “It’s not that I don’t believe in traditional medicine, because I do. But traditional medicine wasn’t working. This was just an alternative that I tried that had no guarantees, and I knew that. I knew this wasn’t a miracle thing, but for some reason it’s working.”
