PHILADELPHIA, PA — A husband-and-wife operation that claimed it could diagnose and cure cancer using so-called “smart chip technology” embedded in ultrasound machines has collapsed after both principals pleaded guilty in federal court to sweeping fraud and public health crimes.
Mary Blakley, 76, and Fred Blakley, 61, both of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, entered guilty pleas Monday before United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and to defraud the Food and Drug Administration, according to U.S. Attorney David Metcalf.
Federal prosecutors said the Blakleys operated medical clinic businesses across the country that charged clients about $300 per visit, often in cash, for what they described as “full body scans.” Using conventional ultrasound machines, the defendants falsely claimed they could diagnose, treat, and cure a wide range of serious illnesses, including cancer, by deploying purported “smart chip technology” invented by Mary Blakley.
Court filings state that Mary Blakley, who referred to herself as “Doctor Mary,” claimed she could “activate” the smart chip — at times saying she could “light it up like a Christmas tree” — to detect cancer cells, perform non-invasive colonoscopies, measure immune system levels, and remove toxins or scarring from organs such as the lungs and brainstem. Prosecutors said all of those claims were false.
The scheme extended beyond diagnostics. Based on the fabricated scan results, the defendants promoted and sold supplements, creams, and veterinary drugs to clients as medical treatments. Among the products was Aetheion, marketed as a cosmetic cream but falsely promoted as a treatment for cancer and other serious conditions. Prosecutors said Mary Blakley claimed she could use a “laser” on the ultrasound machine to drive the cream into a patient’s body to kill cancer cells.
The Blakleys also promoted and sold fenbendazole, a veterinary antiparasitic drug not approved for human use and explicitly labeled as unsafe for animals intended for human consumption, as a cancer treatment. In addition, they sold ProArgi9+, a vitamin supplement, claiming it could treat cardiovascular disease and prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Federal authorities said the defendants bolstered their credibility through fabricated credentials, including Mary Blakley’s claim that she held a Ph.D. from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet — an institution she never attended. Investigators further alleged the pair attempted to conceal their activities by claiming they were only conducting research, avoiding medical terminology, refusing to keep records, and disguising their clinics as private or religious organizations that required confidentiality agreements.
The Blakleys were charged in a superseding indictment in June, along with their associate Janmarie Lanzo, 66, also of Lake Havasu City. Lanzo pleaded guilty earlier this month to conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and to defraud the FDA.
Fred Blakley also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a felon after investigators seized more than 30 firearms and approximately 30,000 rounds of ammunition from a garage he used. He had previously been convicted on federal charges related to conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.
Sentencing for the Blakleys is scheduled for April. Mary Blakley faces a maximum possible sentence of 25 years in prison, while Fred Blakley faces up to 40 years. Lanzo is scheduled to be sentenced in March and faces a maximum possible term of five years.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Philadelphia Division through its Newtown Square Resident Agency and the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and Paul G. Shapiro and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.
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