Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, an actor who had small roles in Iron Man 3 and Thor, has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly claiming to have invented a coronavirus cure.
In a statement, US Attorney Nick Hanna said: “During these difficult days, scams like this are using blatant lies to prey upon our fears and weaknesses.”
The California-based small-time actor, who has 2.5 million followers on Instagram, was charged with one count of attempted wire fraud.
According to the allegations, Middlebrook had sought investors for his “patent-pending” cure for the deadly virus, and had claimed to have retired basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson on his board of directors.