PERRY BELCHER FACES COMPUTER FRAUD, IMITATION OF LICENSED PROFESSIONAL, DECEPTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES CHARGES

MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons and Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell announced Monday the arrest of a Lakeland man who has allegedly been deceiving the public—possibly victims worldwide—by selling over the internet what various websites claim to be different types of products and medical information to cure many different ailments.

Perry Belcher

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office this morning arrested Perry Belcher, 43, of Lakeland, on one count of computer fraud over $10,000 (a class C felony), one count of imitation of a licensed professional (a class E felony) and 37 counts of deceptive business practices (a class B misdemeanor).

Sheriff’s officers and investigators with the D.A.’s White Collar Crime Unit executed search warrants last Tuesday, March 18, at three location, including Belcher’s home, located at 9988 Promontory Cove in Lakeland, and two commercial properties located at 1710 North Shelby Oaks Drive and 7740 Trinity, Suite 114.

Belcher’s arrest is the result of an intensive investigation conducted by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the D.A.’s White Collar Crime Unit in coordination with the Federal Drug Administration, the United States Postal Inspector, and the Tennessee Department of Revenue.

The local investigation started after several individuals notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center that they had possibly been defrauded by an internet company called Selmedica.

According to the affidavit of complaint filed in this case, Belcher owns and operates Selmedica, a company that claims on its website that it manufactures products to treat a wide array of ailments. The company claims to have made every product it sells in a “state of the art facility under the strict guidelines of the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Process.” The affidavit goes on to say that Selmedica sells or has sold products it claims can treat attention deficit disorder, irritable bowl syndrome, head lice, female and male infertility, chronic body odor, yeast infections, scabies, ringworm infections, poison ivy, depression and anxiety, shingles, high blood pressure, hives, eczema, vertigo, pink eye, warts and migraines, among others. The company also sells or has sold products that it claims aids in weight loss, sleep deprivation, and hangovers.

Additionally, the affidavit states that Perry Belcher or his companies have sold e-books claiming to be written by medical experts. The affidavit says that the investigation revealed these books are not, in fact, written by medical professionals.

According to the affidavit of complaint, the Better Business Bureau of the Mid South has received more than 100 complaints over the past seven years on Selmedica, Perry Belcher and his business partners. Belcher has also done business, the affidavit says, as Selmedica Affiliates, Selmedica Healthcare, Increase Media, HealthyRightNow.com, Spring Time Herbs, Perry M. Belcher Companies, Gotcha Marketing, and AMI, Inc.

During the execution of the search warrants last week, Sheriff’s officers confiscated 20,838 bottles of contraband products valued at $1,222,980 and a complete collection of e-books supposedly written by medical experts.

The affidavit of complaint filed at the time of Belcher’s arrest says the total amount of fraud to victims is $18,931.44. Investigators, however, believe there are other victims who have not filed complaints. Investigators believe there are potential victims all across the United States and other parts of the world. If other customers of Belcher’s internet businesses believe they may have been victims of fraud, they are asked to contact the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at a special number, 901-545-3268 or by email at: selmedica@shelby-sheriff.org.