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| {{Short description|American businessman}} | |||
| '''Gregory James Caton''' (a.k.a. John Carr) is a promoter of various herbal products, some of which are claimed to cure cancer.<ref></ref> Caton was the founder of Alpha Omega Labs (1994-2008), a manufacturer of natural health care products, distributing internationally from Guayaquil, Ecuador.<ref>Website: Greg Caton Website www.gregcaton.com</ref> | |||
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| |other_names = James Carr | |other_names = James Carr | ||
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|known_for = Health care fraud, alternative medicine promotion | ||
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|education = AA (1975), ] | ||
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| '''Gregory James Caton''' (April 6, 1956 – December 15, 2021) was an American businessman, inventor, manufacturer, convicted felon, and promoter of various herbal products, the main one being ], which Caton claimed cures skin ],<ref name = "CV"></ref> although the U.S. ] (FDA) banned it in 2003 as worthless.<ref>Shapiro, Rose, ''How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All, quoted at </ref> Caton was the founder of Alpha Omega Labs, a manufacturer of natural health care products, that currently distributes internationally from ].<ref></ref> | |||
| == Early projects == | |||
| ==Early life and education== | |||
| Caton founded Consumer Express in 1984.<ref>Website PRNewswire Feb 25, 1987 http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-4669633.html</ref> which later became Nutrition for Life<ref>Website PRNewswire Jan 11, 1989 http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-7243789.html</ref>, a multi level mailorder company, ]. The firm traded briefly on the ] stock exchange.<ref>Website PR Newswire Nov 7, 1995. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-17558940.html</ref> Nutrition for Life entered into a business agreement with ]<ref>Website: Skeptic Dictionary Kevin Trudeau accessed 19 DEC 09 http://www.skepdic.com/trudeau.html</ref> | |||
| Caton attended ],<ref name = "CV" /> a community college in the ], and then served in the ] as a cryptologist from 1975 through 1978.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}}. He was an avid amateur and short wave radio operator.<ref></ref> | |||
| ==First businesses== | |||
| After the change of ownership of Consumer Express, Caton authored a book (which was since withdrawn) on the facts surrounding the alleged fraud surrounding this transaction. Down-Line News reviewed this work in February 1993 on their website.<ref>Wesbite Down line News Archive JAN/FEB 1993 Accessed 21DEC09 http://www.mlmwatchdog.com/Watchdog_1993_January_WhatsHappening.html</ref> | |||
| Caton founded Consumer Express in 1984.<ref>{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> which later became Nutrition for Life,<ref>{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> a ] (MLM) company. The firm traded briefly on the ] stock exchange.<ref>{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> | |||
| Nutrition for Life<ref></ref> entered into a business agreement with ].<ref>Reuters (January 22, 1996) "", ''The New York Times''. Retrieved April 10, 2020.</ref> After the change of ownership of Consumer Express, Caton wrote a book (which was since withdrawn) on his version of the alleged fraud surrounding this transaction. Down-Line News reviewed this work in February 1993 on their website.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mlmwatchdog.com/Watchdog_1993_January_WhatsHappening.html |title=Website:Down line News Archive JAN/FEB 1993, Accessed 21 December 09 |access-date=2009-12-21 |archive-date=2010-01-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106051531/http://www.mlmwatchdog.com/Watchdog_1993_January_WhatsHappening.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Caton filed a suit against ] in the US Fifth District Court of Appeals, in response to a libel suit by Trudeau in 1996 over Caton's aforementioned book. | |||
| :<blockquote>DLN has received an updated edition of a book called "MLM FRAUD" (originally published in March 1999). The book primarily focuses on the various individual s involved in Consumer Express (CE) which merged with Nutrition for Life (NFL) in 1989 create what is now called NUTRITION EXPRESS (NE), a nutritional, health' (homeopathic), personal care and environmental product MLM company. To say the least, the book is a chilling account of alleged stock, credit card and tax fraud ; deceit; embezzlement; wiretapping; unsubstantiated product claims; false and misleading advertising; stealing of distributor downlines; and computer manipulation of distributor commissions. | |||
| <blockquote>In January 1996, Kevin Trudeau filed a libel suit against Caton in Illinois state court based on statements Caton made in a book and on an Internet website. Caton removed the action to federal court, but on Trudeau's motion, the action was remanded. Thereafter, Caton failed to respond to Trudeau's claims and the court entered a default and noticed an evidential hearing. On June 5, 1996, after a hearing, the court rendered a default judgment against Caton, awarding Trudeau $5 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.<ref name="USCA">{{cite web|url=http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F3/157/1026/578120 |title=United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 157 F.3d 1026}}</ref></blockquote> | |||
| :<blockquote>The following are accused in MLM FRAUD of one or more of the aforementioned allegations: | |||
| In November 1996, Caton filed for ] bankruptcy in response to the judgment.<ref name="USCA"/> Shortly afterward, the company was subject to a class action lawsuit filed in Harris County, Texas.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://securities.stanford.edu/1012/NFLI/ |title=Website:Stanford University College of Law, Securities Accessed 18 DEC 09 |access-date=2009-12-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825213833/http://securities.stanford.edu/1012/NFLI/ |archive-date=2009-08-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nutrition for Life filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 8, 2003.<ref name="MLM Watch Archive">{{cite web|url=http://www.mlmwatchdog.com/Archives2003_2.html |title=Website MLM Watch Archive 2003 Access 18 DEC 09}}</ref> | |||
| :<blockquote>David Bertrand - Co-Founder and President of CE & NE | |||
| :<blockquote>Judy Bertrand - David's wife | |||
| :<blockquote>Greg Caton - Co-Founder CE | |||
| :<blockquote>Dayle Maloney- CE/NE Distributor | |||
| :<blockquote>Ronnie Meaux - CE Comptroller and Bertrand's nephew’ | |||
| :<blockquote>Jana Mitcham - Co-Founder and EVP of CE & NE | |||
| :<blockquote>Tom Schreiter - Co-Founder CE. Author of Big Al books | |||
| :<blockquote>Bill Taylor - Tom Schreiter’s brother-in-law | |||
| :<blockquote>] - Mega Memory lnfocommercial promoter, CE Director of Marketing | |||
| Caton then took up a project to detail the issues associated with multi-level marketing on a site entitled MLM Credit Bureau. He was featured in an online article by Ami Mills on the Metroactive website in 1996 regarding his work.<ref></ref> | |||
| :<blockquote>DLN cautions its readers that MLM FRAUD was written by and is based on the experiences and investigations of Greg Caton who was one of the founders of Consumer Express. Even though the book focuses primarily on Consumer Express, Mr. Caton contends that many of the individuals that were involved with both CE and NFL are the same as those now involved with NE and this should send red flags a-flying. Caton also says that there is evidence that that some of the aforementioned unethical and illegal activities are still occurring in NE and this is alluded to in the updated edition. | |||
| ==Lumen Foods, Alpha Omega Labs and Herbologics== | |||
| :<blockquote>In the book, Mr. Caton supports his allegations with generally scant but credible documentation along with testimonials and affidavits by individuals who serve to corroborate Mr. Caton's allegations. However, Mr. Caton also submitted himself to and passed what is called a Psychological Stress Evaluation or PSE. The PSE is similar to a polygraph but has been considered to be equal to and/or more accurate than a polygraph in determining if a person is being truthful. This is the conclusion of different case studies conducted during the 1970s. | |||
| Caton started Alpha Omega Labs in 1995 using the ] "James Carr".<ref></ref> Alpha Omega Labs became a provider of over 300 alternative health products with 14 distributors around the world, before its closure by the U.S. ] (FDA) in 2003. Caton pleaded guilty to charges that he defrauded consumers.<ref></ref> | |||
| In early 2000, Lumen Foods reportedly "broke ranks" with the health food industry when it was reported that it would actively include ] (GMO) products in its offerings.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archives.foodsafety.ksu.edu/agnet/2000/2-2000/ag-02-07-00-01.txt |title=Letter from Professor C.S. Prakash, Director of the Center for Plant Biotechnology Research at Tuskegee University and a member of the newly formed USDA Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology. Published in AgNet 06 FEB 2000 |access-date=9 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719222313/http://archives.foodsafety.ksu.edu/agnet/2000/2-2000/ag-02-07-00-01.txt |archive-date=19 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> | |||
| :<blockquote>Caton also told us that he had accepted $12,000 from and signed a contract with David Bertrand, Jana Mitcham and Tom Schreiter agreeing to stop distribution of the March 1991 (first edition) printing of MLM FRAUD (Caton supplied DLN with a copy of that contract and the $12,000 money wire) and this should strongly give support to the truth of his allegations. Now, over 1-1/2 years later, Caton also suggests that it was wrong to accept the money and that he cannot hold back any longer and must bring forward the truth at any cost. Caton also suggests that he has been offered more recently, over $100,000 to stop the release of the 162 page updated edition of MLM FRAUD. | |||
| <blockquote>"They have it all wrong", said Lumen Foods' President, Greg Caton. "FDA, USDA, and EPA have all done exhaustive research into their safety and have found nothing that remotely suggests that either the consumer or the environment are at risk from GM seed", he said.<ref></ref></blockquote> This earned significant attention from non-GMO advocates. Caton spoke at Cornell University's sponsored symposium, Informing the Dialogue about Agricultural Biotechnology, in November 1999. His topic was GMO Controversy & the Whole Foods Industry: Why Wholesale Condemnation of Agricultural Biotechnology Hurts our Most Ingredient-Sensitive Markets<ref></ref> Lumen Foods reversed their position later in the year, supposedly from pressure by their customers.<ref></ref> | |||
| Alpha Omega was the topic of an exposé by '']'' in their review of the book ''Natural Causes''.<ref>Magazine: BusinessWeek January 8, 2007, webversion http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_02/b4016109.htm</ref> | |||
| :<blockquote>After reading this book, one would have to agree that it would take a wallop of an Imagination to make it up (maybe Caton has one!). Also, if there isn't any truth to the book, why did Bertrand, Mitcham and Schreiter pay Caton to stop the 1991 first edition. More important1y, one should ask why Mr. Caton would undertake all this time , expense and pain to publish such a book considering that Mr. Caton (with extreme reservations) admitted to DLN that he was, in fact, a major participant in and witness to many of the illegal and/or unethical activities cited in the book and this could create enormous problems for himself. This, Caton says should put to rest any doubts about the book’s accuracy. | |||
| The review in ''Business Week'' references the case of Sue Gilliatt, a nurse from Indianapolis who claimed she used ], as well as a product named "{{Proper name|H3O}}" (also sold by Caton) for skin cancer on her nose and that they burned off her nose (in the lawsuit, {{Proper name|H3O}} was primarily blamed).<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref>{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref></ref> Caton contested Gilliatt's assertions, claiming that because of the individual's use of additional alternative medicine, exclusive attribution of damages from {{Proper name|H3O}} could not be determined. Furthermore, according to Caton, Gilliatt contradicted herself several times in her various court testimonies.<ref></ref> Caton even claims that Gilliatt's nose appears to have been surgically removed, citing photographs.<ref> Greg Caton's website</ref> The use of escharotics (caustic pastes) such as Cansema to treat skin cancer is "unproven" and can have "serious consequences", according to dermatologists.<ref></ref> | |||
| ==Federal conviction== | |||
| :<blockquote>Even with all this in mind please consider that no, REPEAT no criminal charges have ever been leveled against the individuals Mr. Caton makes allegations about, relative to Consumer Express. | |||
| In 2003, United States Federal agents from the joint task force (including U.S. FDA, ] and local law enforcement) raided Caton's offices, factory and home.<ref> "On September 17, 2003, a federal search warrant was executed at CATON's residence, Lumen Food Corporation, and an industrial site owned by CATON. All of these locations were in Lake Charles, Louisiana."</ref> As a result of the raid, Caton pleaded guilty in 2004 and was sentenced to 33 months in prison for weapons possession by a felon, and for defrauding customers and violating FDA regulations.<ref></ref><ref></ref> Caton had received a previous felony conviction for counterfeiting in 1990.<ref></ref> | |||
| Caton filed for a writ of ] based upon ineffective counsel in 2005. This was denied with prejudice by the courts.<ref></ref> | |||
| :<blockquote>And the truth is, DLN has had a very difficult time getting supporting confirmation by people whom Caton says were witnesses to the various illegal activities. In fact, one of the pieces of evidence against CE is through an affidavit submitted by Lee Colson. Unfortunately, Mr. Colson is nowhere to be found. This certainly raises questions of Caton's credibility but , this doesn't suggest that DLN doubts what Caton alleges in MLM FRAUD-it's just that we haven't able to definitively prove it. Caton goes on to suggest that these witnesses he's named in the book are just afraid to talk or get involved while other witnesses, he maintains, are still receiving residual income from CE and their coming forward could jeopardize that Income. Also, the written documentation DLN received seems to stand on its own. In any event, this book is a very serious matter, not to be taken lightly or discounted. | |||
| == Probation violation and extradition from Ecuador == | |||
| :<blockquote>One of Caton's other witnesses to fraudulent activities who appears to be credible (due to his being chairman of the distributor board for CE and is now on the board of directors of the MLMIA) is Ken Pontious. In the book , Mr. Pontious is referred to as Mr. P.K . When DLN politely contacted Mr. Pontious and mentioned we were going to do an article on MLM FRAUD and then asked him about his being this Mr. P.K. and about his experiences with CE, he went ballistic. First, he totally and vehemently denied being Mr. P.K. and then went on to deny being a witness to any of Caton' s allegations. Then on top of that, he threatened to sue DLN if we were to claim in this article that he was Mr. P.K., a witness to CE fraud, or even insinuate that he has any negative opinions at all about CE. Pontious' lawyer confirmed that threat in a call to us on November 12, 1992. | |||
| On 5 June 2006, after serving his sentence,<ref> "... on 5 June 2006 Caton began serving a 3 three year period of supervised release ..."</ref> Greg Caton was released on three years probation with specific restrictions against possession of firearms or manufacture of non-FDA approved materials.<ref> Probation terms</ref> He and his family relocated to ] in the summer of 2007.<ref> "our family permanently moved to Ecuador in the summer of 2007"</ref> Alpha Omega Labs were reopened in June 2008.<ref name="GC">{{cite web|url=http://www.gregcaton.com |title=Greg Caton CV}}</ref> | |||
| On 27 October 2007, Caton was found in violation of the terms of his probation.<ref> "Caton further tells us that because he could not fly to the United States he could not attend 27 October 2007 hearing in the Western District of Louisiana. As a result, Caton was in violation of the conditions of his release."</ref> In September 2008, a filing was made with the U.S. patent office in which he expressed a fear of arrest for violation of his probation, if he returned to the US.<ref> (This filing was made because Caton was a junior party to a lawsuit regarding his patent with Paul Manos.)</ref> | |||
| :<blockquote>However, in a conversation which Caton later had with Pontious with DLN as a telephone witness , Mr. Pontious confirmed he was Mr. P.K., but then went on to say he would still deny knew anything negative regarding CE. He even went on to deny he knew what a DPS report was, which is all but impossible for him not to and goes to seriously jeopardize this man's integrity. He told Caton the reason he had to do this was because he is making a lot of money with his present ENRICH INTERNATIONAL opportunity and didn't want to jeopardize that through any publicity that might come with his name being brought up (good or bad) relative to the DLN article. This came a complete shock to Caton as Pontious had been a staunch supporter of Caton' s cause up to this point and more importantly because of the very credible written documentation Caton has contradicting this. | |||
| Caton's probation violation was reported to ], and was placed in their database; it was reported on Interpol website on 30 September 2008. In February 2009, he was featured in '']''{{'}}s "On the Run In America" as an Interpol international fugitive.<ref name="PM">{{cite news|url=http://www.parade.com/news/2009/02/on-the-run-in-america.html |title=On the Run In America |date=February 2009 |work=Parade |accessdate=2009-12-21}}</ref> | |||
| :<blockquote>DLN has a copy of a letter that Mr. Pontious wrote on June 27, 1987 to the Lake Charles District Attorney 's Office claiming and formally charging CE Management with Fraud and Misrepresentation. | |||
| On 3 December 2009, Caton was arrested at a checkpoint in Ecuador and held in prison. What followed was a complex set of legal manoeuvres involving multiple parties. According to vague reports by Cathryn Caton, his wife, these maneuvers included various members of the Ecuadorian judiciary and police officials. A judicial hearing on the case was scheduled in Guayaquil, Ecuador on 14 December 2009.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719134252/http://www.latarde.com.ec/1660-Familia+Caton+denuncia+secuestro.html |date=2011-07-19 }} (Spanish) 2010-01-27</ref> | |||
| ::<blockquote>Grow up Pontious! Stop playing politics! Your reputation in MLM is getting worse by the day! | |||
| Caton was sentenced in a Louisiana court in May 2010 to serve the remainder of his probation (24 months) in prison. He filed a motion of appeal on June 23, 2011, under the provision that the court failed to consider sentencing guidelines. This appeal was denied.<ref> June 23, 2011</ref><ref> 23 JUN 2011</ref> | |||
| :<blockquote>The following is response by David Bertrand, President of Nutrition Express: | |||
| == Later life == | |||
| ::<blockquote>These accusations are, of course false. They are the creation of an embittered ex-consultant and have resurfaced over the years under various names, with a number of "enhancements" to the original claims. Their source has a history of deceit and treachery: he even has a felony conviction for conspiracy to counterfeit! Clearly his story cannot be taken at face value. | |||
| Caton returned to Ecuador and continued selling his products online. An interview in November 2016 on the One Radio Network podcast detailed his view of medical practice and the purported benefits from black salve.<ref></ref> The well-known television physician ] conducted an investigation into black salve, culminating in an interview with Caton.<ref></ref> Caton died on 15 December 2021 of a heart attack. | |||
| ==Authored works== | |||
| ::<blockquote>You will be interested to learn that this manuscript, a fanciful fabrication based on the limited experience of its author some five to seven years ago, has a habit of appearing whenever our company is experiencing phenomenal growth or when other MLM groups are targeting our distributors. So you see, these charges are simply a part of a strategy aimed at attacking us and recruiting our people. As an advocate of ethics in this industry, you are in a unique position to expose his activity. | |||
| *Caton, G.J.; ''Lumen: Food For A New Age'', Calcasieu Graphics & Pressworks, 1986. {{ISBN|0-939955-00-8}} | |||
| *Caton, Greg; ''MLM Fraud: A Practical Handbook for the Network Marketing Professional'', (self-published), 1990. {{ISBN|0-939955-03-2}} | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| ::<blockquote>Common sense is all that is required to refute these tall tales. We have always been a publicly -audited company, and our status as a public company places our actions under intense scrutiny . Nevertheless, no findings such as the ones described in this manuscript have ever been made! And could an organization run in the manner described by this source over the years as we have? Experience leads us to conclude it could not. | |||
| *Hurley, Dan, ''Natural Causes: Death, Lies, and Politics in America's Vitamin and Herbal Supplement Industry''. Broadway Publishers (2007) {{ISBN|0-7679-2042-2}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| ::<blockquote>Ours is an open opportunity for those who would seek financial independence and better health. We have always maintained a policy of avoiding the dirty tactics used against us, and we will not now stoop to their level in refuting them. The facts speak for themselves. | |||
| ::<blockquote>Any thorough investigation of the claims made in this manuscript will demonstrate them to be categorically false. | |||
| ::<blockquote>I am committed to network marketing and I firmly believe it holds the promise of the future! Thousands across our country and abroad have experienced success and happiness through our efforts, and there is nothing that a bitter liar can do to change that. We are rocketing ahead, and have no time to worry about those who insist on being left behind. | |||
| ::<blockquote>I hope that in reviewing the material presented to your publication, you will see its falsehood and decide not to publish it. And if you do publish it, I hope that you will take the time to do a thorough and critical analysis of the facts, so that those who would terrorize our industry in this manner will for once be reproved. | |||
| ::<blockquote>David Bertrand | |||
| :<blockquote>CLOSING NOTES: | |||
| :<blockquote>Even though most of the events the book covers took place over four years ago, DLN still feels that it must be reported . Not to, would be amount to gross negligence of our journalistic duty. | |||
| :<blockquote>DOWN-LINE NEWS has conducted the best due-diligence within our means to ferret out the facts. This has not been easy as much of the information we have collected from the numerous parties on both sides has been mostly of a testimonial nature. Mr. Bertrand says that Mr. Caton's manuscript is full of lies and falsehoods and that he is willing to back that up with the actual facts through a formal comprehensive rebuttal. | |||
| :<blockquote>On the other hand Mr. Caton says the book speaks for itself and if that's not enough, he is willing to challenge Mr. Bertrand to a lie detector face-off. | |||
| :<blockquote>DLN recognizes that a lot of negative publicity will probably be generated for Nutrition Express and for the individuals accused of the various allegations and DLN is sorry for how this may affect the distributors of NE. Keep in mind that DLN has no personal vendetta against NE, Jana Mitcham, David Bertrand, Tom Schreiter, etc. In fact DLN has had a very cordial relationship with these people over the past year. For the record, NE is a subscriber to DLN as are a few of their distributors. | |||
| :<blockquote>To those of you who might think that DLN gets some kind of pleasure out of reporting this kind of stuff, nothing could be farther from the truth. It's not easy bringing this sort of news to light and we don't relish this one bit. We only seek the truth and nothing but the truth. The truth must come out, and DLN has now provided a forum for that to happen. | |||
| :<blockquote>After the dust settles, DL N is hopeful this book will instigate a movement to better MLM by putting more pressure on both companies and distributors alike to live by a higher standard of behavior. MLM Companies have to stop their power trips over distributors and distributors have to stop bad mouthing companies and each other. It's time for the MLM industry to grow up and take responsibility for its behavior. We've got to pull together as an industry if MLM is going to be taken seriously . Time's running out. | |||
| :<blockquote>Please be aware that there are numerous mentions and endorsements of DL N in MLM FRAUD. Mr. Caton took this initiative on his own. In fact, when we got an advance look at the book, we were surprised at this. UNDERSTAND! There were no deals, conditions, nothing whatsoever, between DLN and Mr. Caton. Regardless, this in no way will inhibit us from making the book available and leaving it up to you, the reader to decide on its merits.</blockquote>'' | |||
| == Legal action == | |||
| Caton filed a suit against Kevin Trudeau in the US Fifth District Court of Appeals<ref>Website: US Court of Appeals 1998 http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F3/157/1026/578120/</ref> This was in response to a libel suit filed by Trudeau i 1996 over Caton's aforementioned book. | |||
| <blockquote>In January 1996, Kevin Trudeau filed a libel suit against Caton in Illinois state court based on statements Caton made in a book and on an Internet website. Caton removed the action to federal court, but on Trudeau's motion, the action was remanded. Thereafter, Caton failed to respond to Trudeau's claims and the court entered a default and noticed an evidentiary hearing. On June 5, 1996, after a hearing, the court rendered a default judgment against Caton, awarding Trudeau $5 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.</blockquote> | |||
| Caton filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in response to the judgement in November 1996. | |||
| Shortly after this arrangement, the company was subject to a class action lawsuit filed in Harris County, Texas.<ref>Website Stanford University College of Law, Securities Accessed 18 DEC 09 http://securities.stanford.edu/1012/NFLI/</ref> Nutrition for life was forced to file for bankruptcy, chapter 7, on July 8, 2003.<ref>Website MLM Watch Archive 2003 Accessed 18 DEC 09 http://www.mlmwatchdog.com/Archives2003_2.html</ref> | |||
| Caton then took up a project to detail the issues associated with multi-level marketing on a site entitled ''MLM Credit Bureau''. He was featured in an online article by Ami Mills on the Metroactive website in 1996 regarding his work<ref>Websiote: Mills, Ami Chen, Metroactive Accessed 20DEC09 http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/10.03.96/cover/multilevel3-9640.html</ref> | |||
| ==Alpha Omega Labs== | |||
| Caton's operation was shut down by the ] (FDA) in 2003.<ref>http://www.altcancer.com/compensation_for_fake_product.htm</ref> His website claims that "fake" products shipped under his trade names and offers compensation for claimants. | |||
| Caton operated Alpha Omega Labs as a front company in order to avoid FDA rules and regulations. He relocated to Ecuador in June 2008.<ref>http://www.altcancer.com/</ref> | |||
| Alpha Omega were the topic of an expose by Business Week in their review of the book, Natural Causes.<ref>Magazine: BusinessWeek January 8, 2007, webversion http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_02/b4016109.htm</ref>. The review focusd upon the case of Sue Gilliat, a nurse from Indianapolis who used Caton's Cansema product.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Causes-Politics-Americas-Supplement/dp/0767920422</ref><ref>Website WISH TV Channel 8 News Story via Meditopia accessed 19 DEC 09 http://www.meditopia.org/docs/wishtv.pdf</ref><ref>Website WISH TV 8, Indianapolis, IN http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1540595&nav=0Ra7JXqeJXqg</ref> Cansema is a product which is classified as an ]. In short, it attacks and kills human skin tissue, regardless of the presence of cancerous growth. This formulation is sold by many, although Caton claimed some exclusivity for his brand. '']'', a UK newspaper, published a section on ] in an article on 18 November 1999. | |||
| :<blockquote>For $49.95 (£31) a product called ] guarantees 100 per cent success in the removal of skin cancers, even melanomas - regardless of type or size. The makers say that it can discriminate between healthy and cancerous tissue and can therefore both diagnose and treat. That is simply not scientifically possible. Cansema is a so-called "escharotic", which poisons and kills any skin it touches, cancerous or otherwise. There are documented cases of patients losing large areas of their skin and face, including the whole nose, after using escharotics, and needing years of plastic surgery to correct the damage.<ref>Newspaper Article ''The Independent'' Baker, Robert 18NOV99, online access ed 18DEC09 http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/ah-yes-cancer-just-click-here-for-a-cure-738021.html</ref></blockquote> | |||
| Cansema is listed by the FDA, as one of 187 fake cancer cures.<ref>Website FDA Accessed 18 DEC 09 "187 Fake Cancer Cures"http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/ucm171057.htm</ref> Cansema continues to be marketed by numerous individuals, including Caton<ref>altcancer.com/cansema</ref> and others, as referenced by recent FDA warning letters<ref>Letter, FDA Warning Re: Cansema 20 MAY 08 2008-DAL-WL-12 http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2008/ucm1048295.htm</ref> The case involving Alpha Omega Labs has been chronicled by on their news site. The website details the impact of the Office of Criminal Investigation.<ref>http://www.fda.gov/downloads/ICECI/EnforcementActions/EnforcementStory/EnforcementStoryArchive/UCM091477.pdf</ref> | |||
| Cathryn Caton, a naturopathic doctor, recalled the FDA raid in a self-posted video from February 2009.<ref>Video YouTube Accessed 19DEC09 http://www.youtube.com/v/s8RVTKeN_Ng&hl=en_US&fs=1&</ref> | |||
| :<blockquote>This investigation was initiated based on information regarding the illegal activities of a food processing plant called Lumen Food Corporation, located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Lumen Food Corporation advertised products via an Internet website www.altcancer.com under the name of Alpha Omega Labs, located in Nassau, Bahamas. These products were advertised as containing medicinal qualities for the treatment of cancer and many other diseases. | |||
| :<blockquote>From 1999 to 2003, Gregory CATON, President of Lumen Food Corporation, and his employees utilized Alpha Omega Labs to take direct orders for these unapproved new drugs. The chemical substances were not approved for sale by the FDA. As a result of the scheme, CATON received approximately $950,000. In order to legally market a drug in interstate commerce, the drug's manufacturer is required to comply with all applicable provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in order to ensure that the products sold are safe for humans and effective for their intended uses. | |||
| :<blockquote>On at least two occasions known to the FDA, the items shipped by CATON's firm and used by consumers resulted in bodily injury and harm. The products were Cansema Tonic III and H3O. Cansema Tonic III was advertised for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of cancer. H3O was advertised for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of athlete's foot, cuts and burns, eczema, fingernail fungus, chronic gas, gastroenteritis, gingivitis and periodontal disease, halitosis, herpes sores, ophthalmia, psoriasis, sore throat, strep throat, and wounds. CATON did not have an Investigational New Drug (IND) application on file with the FDA. | |||
| :<blockquote>On September 17, 2003, a federal search warrant was executed at CATON's residence, Lumen Food Corporation, and an industrial site owned by CATON. All of these locations were in Lake Charles, Louisiana. | |||
| :<blockquote>During the search of CATON's residence, a cache of weapons was found consisting of three semi-automatic rifles, one bolt action rifle, two shotguns, a semi-automatic pistol, 10, 252 rounds of amunition, three body armor vests, leg armor and two bullet resistant helmets. The weapons, armor and ammunition were found concealed in a hidden compartment that was inside a closet. CATON was arrested on possession of firearms by a convicted felon. | |||
| :<blockquote>Numerous misbranded and unapproved new drugs were seized during the search at Lumen Foods, as well as items deemed as hazardous materials by chemical engineers. Also seized were (16) sixteen (55) fifty-five gallon drums of a liquid corrosive material at the industrial site owned by CATON. This liquid was subsequently identified as sulfuric acid and was mislabeled as non-corrosive. All of the hazardous materials seized were subsequently destroyed by a hazardous materials disposal company. | |||
| :<blockquote>On May 26, 2004, CATON was convicted of violating Title18, U.S.C. § 1341 - Mail Fraud; and Title 21, U.S.C. §§ 331(d), 355(a) and 333 (a) (2) - Introduction into Interstate Commerce of Unapproved New Drugs. CATON also forfeited (2) two buildings and his residence in Lake Charles, Louisiana. | |||
| :<blockquote>On August 24, 2004, CATON was sentenced to (33) thirty-three months incarceration to be followed by (3) three years supervised release. | |||
| :<blockquote>This was a joint investigation with the Lake Charles and Westlake Police Departments.<ref>Website: EDDI-Inc. News Release http://www.eddi-inc.com/news7.html</ref></blockquote> | |||
| == Departure from the United States == | |||
| After his arrest and prison term, Caton left the United States for Ecuador, where he reestalished his operation. During this period he was subject to a patent suit over his food preservative patent. In the filings with the United States Patent Office, it was stated by Mr. Caton that he feared arrest should he return to the United States. This was documented in 2004. | |||
| Per the USPTO document, Caton became in violation of the terms of his release from federal prison in 2004; | |||
| <blockquote>Presumably after serving the 33 month sentence (minus any "good 2 behavior" time credited to Caton), on 5 June 2006 Caton began serving "a 3 three year period of supervised release …" Ex 2104, page 3:17. Based on the record, we take it that Caton moved to Ecuador after his release from incarceration. We gather from the Caton "affidavit" that Caton was required from time to time to return to the United Sates as a condition of his "supervised release." Caton attempted to convince the Western District of Louisiana for a "suspension" of supervised release, apparently so he could permanently relocate to Ecuador. Ex 2104, page 4:1-2. According to Caton, the Western District of Louisiana set a hearing date of 25 October 2007 to take up the request for "suspension." Ex 2104, page 4:6-7. But about that time, a medical problem said to have first come to light "around April, 2004" "began to remanifest itself." Ex 2104, page 4:8-9. Apart from Caton's self-serving statement, there is no independent corroboration of any April 2004 medical problem. According to Caton, however, in 2004 (on some unspecified date) he was admitted to the hospital (not identified) because he was complaining (to whom is not identified) of sharp pains in the right side in the area of the liver and right kidney. Ex 2014, page 4, 9-11. In October of 2007, about the time of the hearing date in the Western District of Louisiana, Caton tells us that his current physician (identified as Dr. Carlos Julio Tobar, M.D.) is said to have identified Caton's condition as "chronic kidney infection, or nephritis." Ex 2104, page 4:12-13. | |||
| Caton says that Dr. Tobar recommended that Caton not fly in airplanes above 30,000 feet. Ex 2014, page 4:18-19. Caton further tells us that because he could not fly to the United States he could not attend the 27 October 2007 hearing in the Western District of Louisiana. As a result, Caton was in violation of the conditions of his release. Ex 2104, page 5:3-6.<ref>Website: US Patent Office Decisions http://www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/bpai/decisions/inform/105617-66.pdf</ref></blockquote> | |||
| ==Current status== | |||
| Caton was reported as a fugitive from Justice on or about May 2006, for violation of the terms of his release from Federal Prison.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}}. He was featured in '']'''s "On the Run In America" article in February 2009<ref>Magazine: Parade, online Accessed 21 DEC 09 http://www.parade.com/news/2009/02/on-the-run-in-america.html</ref>. | |||
| Greg's wife, Cathryn, supposedly posted an online appeal on her husband's behalf. | |||
| :<blockquote>In 1984 my husband founded Consumer Express, which later became Nutrition for Life International (briefly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange as “NFLI”). In 1995 he created Alpha Omega Labs (herbhealers.com / altcancer.com), which became a provider of over 300 alternative health products with 14 distributors around the world, before its closure by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in September, 2003. | |||
| :<blockquote>It successfully reopened in Ecuador in June, 2008. | |||
| :<blockquote>Alpha Omega Labs is best known for Cansema® — an effective cure for skin cancer, based on suppressed formulary information dating back to the 1850’s. Over a 13 year period, Alpha Omega Labs was responsible for curing thousands of cancer cases. | |||
| :<blockquote>In 2007, Greg and his wife received residential Visas to live in Ecuador. The Ecuadorian government had granted us all the proper permits to manufacture and sell our herbal products from within Ecuador at that time. And so, we legally reopened Alpha Omega Labs in the summer of 2008 in Ecuador. | |||
| :<blockquote>As of 2007, Greg had 1.5 years left to serve on his probation. He had already been granted permission to fly back and forth from the US to Ecuador and was hoping to have his probation commuted. However, because of the involvement of an extremely corrupt FDA agent by the name of John Armand, who had Greg arrested in 2003, we made a joint decision to stay here in Ecuador and not travel until his probation period had been completed. A clear and concise description of Greg’s first persecution by the US government can be found on: www.meditopia.org An archive of Greg’s newsletters can be found here: http://www.altcancer.com/ashwarch.htm | |||
| :<blockquote>On December 2, 2009, Greg was arrested here in Ecuador at a premeditated license check point by Ecuadorian police. Completely false charges were brought against him. The charges were that Greg was in Ecuador illegally and that we were selling herbal products illegally. | |||
| :<blockquote>At the first hearing, we had no trouble showing the judge that the charges were false which proved Greg’s innocence. As a result, the judge signed papers to have Greg released from jail. However, the police chief here has the final say as to which inmate is ultimately released or not, and by the time the judge arrived, the police chief had already been heavily pressured and bribed by the U.S. government. This resulted in him signing paper work to deport Greg… illegally. | |||
| :<blockquote>We appealed the police chief’s decision. However, at the second hearing, the Judge essentially froze and said he was not qualified to make a ruling on the case. We noticed that a US consulate official was in the hearing room at that moment. Some Ecuadorian Judges have residential visas in the US and do not want to piss off the US for fear of losing them. | |||
| :<blockquote>We filed another appeal. This appeal was approved and a hearing was scheduled for December 14th or 15th, 2009. I then received a phone call from Greg this morning: Dec. 12, 2009. He told me that whatever legal work we were doing was not working. He said he was calling me from the airport where authorities were preparing to fly him to the US…illegally. | |||
| :<blockquote>I immediately called our assistant who called our attorney who called the new judge. The new judge drove to the chief of police to release him from his authority over this case. The judge then drove to the airport to stop immigration from deporting Greg. Immigration had him flying out on American airlines flight no. 952 from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Miami, Florida. | |||
| :<blockquote>Before the judge got to the airport, our assistant told the police who were holding Greg at the gate that the judge was on his way with paper work for Greg to not leave the country. The man from the U.S. State Department immediately put Greg on the plane (in my opinion…illegally kidnapping Greg) and told our assistant that he was now in American territory (the American Airlines plane) and could not be removed. | |||
| :<blockquote>The judge then arrived with the appropriate paper work and explained that Greg was not to be flown out of the country but he was ignored by American Airlines when he attempted to have Greg removed from the plane, at which point the plane took off. The judge then talked to the airport tower to have the American Airlines flight stopped. Both American Airlines and the pilot refused to listen. The judge then called a general in the Ecuadorian military to have the plane stopped by forcing it to land in Quito. American Airlines refused to listen. | |||
| :<blockquote>All of the above took place while the American Airlines plane was within the country of Ecuador and subject to Ecuadorian law. | |||
| :<blockquote>I have not heard from my husband since. | |||
| :<blockquote>People need to understand that what the U.S. government did today….was totally illegal under Ecuadorian law. | |||
| :<blockquote>If we are to successfully fight this kind of evil…. | |||
| :<blockquote>WE MUST STAND TOGETHER. | |||
| :<blockquote>In order to win this fight once and for all…the countless numbers of people who have cured themselves naturally from any disease need to stand up and tell their story to as many people as possible. | |||
| :<blockquote>In 2003, after Greg’s arrest by the FDA and our herbal company had been shut down, one of the phone calls we received was from a woman who had cured herself of breast cancer using our products. She had tried to get her story told on the Oprah Winfrey show. She was told by the Oprah staff that they could not air her story because the Oprah Winfrey Show was supported by the pharmaceutical companies. | |||
| :<blockquote>So here we have Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential, wealthy personalities on the planet controlled by the pharmaceutical companies. She is not alone… | |||
| :<blockquote>If you or anyone you know has cured themselves naturally of any disease please stand up now and do whatever it takes to get your story told in the main stream media. | |||
| :<blockquote>We must stand up together if we are to transform this evil. | |||
| :<blockquote>Cathryn Caton, N.D.<ref>Website: Energy Grid, Accessed 19DEC09. http://www.energygrid.com/news/2009/12cc-alphaomegacaton.html</ref></blockquote> | |||
| == Claims and controversy == | |||
| Caton has been involved in numerous controversies. In a report on the alt-media conspiracy website, Quatloos, Caton is featured in an article describing the closure of his Lake Charles, Louisiana facility by the FDA<ref>Website: Quatloos Accessed 18 DEC 09 http://www.quatloos.com/Q-Forum/viewtopic.php?t=5007</ref>. | |||
| == Patents == | |||
| Greg Caton submitted a patent applicaiton in 2008 for a food preservative<ref>Website Patent Inventors http://www.faqs.org/patents/inv/39393</ref> | |||
| *Patent application title: Lower alkyl carboxylic acid moieties as organoleptic stabilizers and preservatives of food and beverages and for preventing oxidative corrosion of metals; Inventors: Gregory James Caton - Agents: WEINGARTEN, SCHURGIN, GAGNEBIN & LEBOVICI LLP - Assignees: Intellectual Concepts, LLC - Origin: BOSTON, MA US IPC8 Class: AA23L33517FI USPC Class: 4263303<ref>Website Patent Docs accessed 18DEC09 http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20080213443</ref> | |||
| == Authored books == | |||
| *Caton, G.J.; ''Lumen: Food For A New Age'', Calcasieu Graphics & Pressworks, 1986. ISBN 0939955008 | |||
| *Caton, Greg; ''MLM Fraud: A Practical Handbook for the Network Marketing Professional'', (self-published), 1990. ISBN 0939955032 | |||
| ==Footnotes== | |||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
| ==External links== | |||
| <references/> | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| == External links == | |||
| * | |||
| * (skeptic) | |||
| * | |||
| * (skeptic) | |||
| * (government) | |||
| * (government) | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| *''Natural Causes: Death, Lies, and Politics in America's Vitamin and Herbal Supplement Industry''. Broadway Publishers (2007) ISBN 0767920422 | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Caton, Greg}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 22:59, 26 September 2024
American businessman| Gregory James Caton | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1956-04-06)April 6, 1956 |
| Died | December 15, 2021(2021-12-15) (aged 65) Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | James Carr |
| Education | AA (1975), Los Angeles Valley College |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles Valley College |
| Known for | Health care fraud, alternative medicine promotion |
| Call sign | N5OY |
| Website | Gregcaton.com |
Gregory James Caton (April 6, 1956 – December 15, 2021) was an American businessman, inventor, manufacturer, convicted felon, and promoter of various herbal products, the main one being Cansema, which Caton claimed cures skin cancer, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned it in 2003 as worthless. Caton was the founder of Alpha Omega Labs, a manufacturer of natural health care products, that currently distributes internationally from Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Early life and education
Caton attended Los Angeles Valley College, a community college in the San Fernando Valley, and then served in the US Navy as a cryptologist from 1975 through 1978.. He was an avid amateur and short wave radio operator.
First businesses
Caton founded Consumer Express in 1984. which later became Nutrition for Life, a multi-level marketing (MLM) company. The firm traded briefly on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Nutrition for Life entered into a business agreement with Kevin Trudeau. After the change of ownership of Consumer Express, Caton wrote a book (which was since withdrawn) on his version of the alleged fraud surrounding this transaction. Down-Line News reviewed this work in February 1993 on their website. Caton filed a suit against Kevin Trudeau in the US Fifth District Court of Appeals, in response to a libel suit by Trudeau in 1996 over Caton's aforementioned book.
In January 1996, Kevin Trudeau filed a libel suit against Caton in Illinois state court based on statements Caton made in a book and on an Internet website. Caton removed the action to federal court, but on Trudeau's motion, the action was remanded. Thereafter, Caton failed to respond to Trudeau's claims and the court entered a default and noticed an evidential hearing. On June 5, 1996, after a hearing, the court rendered a default judgment against Caton, awarding Trudeau $5 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
In November 1996, Caton filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in response to the judgment. Shortly afterward, the company was subject to a class action lawsuit filed in Harris County, Texas. Nutrition for Life filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 8, 2003.
Caton then took up a project to detail the issues associated with multi-level marketing on a site entitled MLM Credit Bureau. He was featured in an online article by Ami Mills on the Metroactive website in 1996 regarding his work.
Lumen Foods, Alpha Omega Labs and Herbologics
Caton started Alpha Omega Labs in 1995 using the pseudonym "James Carr". Alpha Omega Labs became a provider of over 300 alternative health products with 14 distributors around the world, before its closure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003. Caton pleaded guilty to charges that he defrauded consumers.
In early 2000, Lumen Foods reportedly "broke ranks" with the health food industry when it was reported that it would actively include Genetically modified organism (GMO) products in its offerings.
"They have it all wrong", said Lumen Foods' President, Greg Caton. "FDA, USDA, and EPA have all done exhaustive research into their safety and have found nothing that remotely suggests that either the consumer or the environment are at risk from GM seed", he said.
This earned significant attention from non-GMO advocates. Caton spoke at Cornell University's sponsored symposium, Informing the Dialogue about Agricultural Biotechnology, in November 1999. His topic was GMO Controversy & the Whole Foods Industry: Why Wholesale Condemnation of Agricultural Biotechnology Hurts our Most Ingredient-Sensitive Markets Lumen Foods reversed their position later in the year, supposedly from pressure by their customers.
Alpha Omega was the topic of an exposé by Business Week in their review of the book Natural Causes. The review in Business Week references the case of Sue Gilliatt, a nurse from Indianapolis who claimed she used Cansema, as well as a product named "H3O" (also sold by Caton) for skin cancer on her nose and that they burned off her nose (in the lawsuit, H3O was primarily blamed). Caton contested Gilliatt's assertions, claiming that because of the individual's use of additional alternative medicine, exclusive attribution of damages from H3O could not be determined. Furthermore, according to Caton, Gilliatt contradicted herself several times in her various court testimonies. Caton even claims that Gilliatt's nose appears to have been surgically removed, citing photographs. The use of escharotics (caustic pastes) such as Cansema to treat skin cancer is "unproven" and can have "serious consequences", according to dermatologists.
Federal conviction
In 2003, United States Federal agents from the joint task force (including U.S. FDA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and local law enforcement) raided Caton's offices, factory and home. As a result of the raid, Caton pleaded guilty in 2004 and was sentenced to 33 months in prison for weapons possession by a felon, and for defrauding customers and violating FDA regulations. Caton had received a previous felony conviction for counterfeiting in 1990.
Caton filed for a writ of habeas corpus based upon ineffective counsel in 2005. This was denied with prejudice by the courts.
Probation violation and extradition from Ecuador
On 5 June 2006, after serving his sentence, Greg Caton was released on three years probation with specific restrictions against possession of firearms or manufacture of non-FDA approved materials. He and his family relocated to Ecuador in the summer of 2007. Alpha Omega Labs were reopened in June 2008.
On 27 October 2007, Caton was found in violation of the terms of his probation. In September 2008, a filing was made with the U.S. patent office in which he expressed a fear of arrest for violation of his probation, if he returned to the US.
Caton's probation violation was reported to Interpol, and was placed in their database; it was reported on Interpol website on 30 September 2008. In February 2009, he was featured in Parade Magazine's "On the Run In America" as an Interpol international fugitive.
On 3 December 2009, Caton was arrested at a checkpoint in Ecuador and held in prison. What followed was a complex set of legal manoeuvres involving multiple parties. According to vague reports by Cathryn Caton, his wife, these maneuvers included various members of the Ecuadorian judiciary and police officials. A judicial hearing on the case was scheduled in Guayaquil, Ecuador on 14 December 2009.
Caton was sentenced in a Louisiana court in May 2010 to serve the remainder of his probation (24 months) in prison. He filed a motion of appeal on June 23, 2011, under the provision that the court failed to consider sentencing guidelines. This appeal was denied.
Later life
Caton returned to Ecuador and continued selling his products online. An interview in November 2016 on the One Radio Network podcast detailed his view of medical practice and the purported benefits from black salve. The well-known television physician Dr. Mehmet Oz conducted an investigation into black salve, culminating in an interview with Caton. Caton died on 15 December 2021 of a heart attack.
Authored works
- Caton, G.J.; Lumen: Food For A New Age, Calcasieu Graphics & Pressworks, 1986. ISBN 0-939955-00-8
- Caton, Greg; MLM Fraud: A Practical Handbook for the Network Marketing Professional, (self-published), 1990. ISBN 0-939955-03-2
Further reading
- Hurley, Dan, Natural Causes: Death, Lies, and Politics in America's Vitamin and Herbal Supplement Industry. Broadway Publishers (2007) ISBN 0-7679-2042-2
References
- ^ Greg Caton CV
- Shapiro, Rose, How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All, quoted at The Sunday Times Online, February 23, 2008
- Website:Greg Caton
- List of Lake Charles Amateur Radio Licences
- Website:PRNewswire Feb 25, 1987
- Website PRNewswire Jan 11, 1989
- Website:PR Newswire Nov 7, 1995
- Dixon, Anna. Doctoral Dissertation University of Hawaii Health and wealth: Dietary supplements, network marketing and the commodification of health
- Reuters (January 22, 1996) "Nutrition for Life Hit by Partner's Past", The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
- "Website:Down line News Archive JAN/FEB 1993, Accessed 21 December 09". Archived from the original on 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- ^ "United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 157 F.3d 1026".
- "Website:Stanford University College of Law, Securities Accessed 18 DEC 09". Archived from the original on 2009-08-25. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
- "Website MLM Watch Archive 2003 Access 18 DEC 09".
- Website: Mills, Ami Chen, Metroactive Accessed 20DEC09
- Caton, Greg, Meditopia, online book, 2004 and subsequent, ongoing project
- Drug Week, June 18, 2004, cited at HighBeam
- "Letter from Professor C.S. Prakash, Director of the Center for Plant Biotechnology Research at Tuskegee University and a member of the newly formed USDA Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology. Published in AgNet 06 FEB 2000". Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
- Food and Drink Weekly, Health foods manufacturer takes pro-GMO stance, 28 FEB 2000
- Cornell University - Informing the Dialogue about Agricultural Biotechnology Symposium, November 1999
- CropChoice "Lumen's Customers Come First" 16 August 2000
- Magazine: BusinessWeek January 8, 2007, webversion http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_02/b4016109.htm
- Natural Causes Book
- Website: Meditopia pdf Archive:WISH TV Channel 8 News Story accessed 19 DEC 09
- Website WISH TV 8, Indianapolis, IN
- BusinessWeek, Jan. 8, 2007.
- Affidavit by Gilliatt
- Meditopia, Ch. 3 Greg Caton's website
- McDaniel S and Goldman GD, Consequences of Using Escharotic Agents as Primary Treatment for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer, Archives of Dermatology 2002;138:1593-1596
- EDDI, Inc. Security Specialists "On September 17, 2003, a federal search warrant was executed at CATON's residence, Lumen Food Corporation, and an industrial site owned by CATON. All of these locations were in Lake Charles, Louisiana."
- Health and Medicine Week, September 13, 2004, cited at Highbeam
- Official Transcript of Pleas Hearing, Docket 04-20075 26 May 2004
- CBS-11 News, June 30, 2004
- Web Accessed pdf - Case 2:04-cr-20075-TLM-CMH Document 49 Filed 11/23/2005
- US Patent Office document dated 19 Sept 2008 - PDF File "... on 5 June 2006 Caton began serving a 3 three year period of supervised release ..."
- Court document dated August 24, 2004 (PDF file) Probation terms
- Meditopia, Ch. 3 "our family permanently moved to Ecuador in the summer of 2007"
- "Greg Caton CV".
- US Patent Office document dated 19 Sept 2008 (PDF File) "Caton further tells us that because he could not fly to the United States he could not attend 27 October 2007 hearing in the Western District of Louisiana. As a result, Caton was in violation of the conditions of his release."
- Website: Patent Interference 105,617 McK INTELLECTUAL CONCEPTS, LLC, (Inventor: Gregory James Caton) v.ZANNIER, INC.,(Inventor: Paul D. Manos) Patent 7,264,847 (This filing was made because Caton was a junior party to a lawsuit regarding his patent with Paul Manos.)
- "On the Run In America". Parade. February 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
- Familia Caton denuncia secuestro Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine (Spanish) 2010-01-27
- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v.GREGORY JAMES CATON, Defendant-Appellant. No. 10-30459, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit June 23, 2011
- IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 10-30459 23 JUN 2011
- Interview One Radio Network, November 1, 2016
- Interview, Dr. Oz Show, May 10, 2017