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On February 1, 2021, an unsealed indictment revealed Tricia Derges was charged with 20 counts of wire fraud, illegal distribution of controlled substances, and making false statements to investigators. Derges, who's also a licensed assistant physician, allegedly offered an acellular treatment to patients, which she marketed as a stem cell shot. She also claimed it had the potential to treat COVID-19. Additional charges were later added on March 23. According to federal prosecutors, Derges received $296,574 in funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to cover COVID-19 testing costs for low-income and uninsured patients without providing the service. As a result of the indictment, Missouri House Speaker Rob Vescovo (R) removed Derges from her committee assignments and asked her to resign. She was also removed from the House Republican Caucus. In a Facebook statement, Derges maintained her innocence. “I am here, holding my head up because that’s what you do when you have done NOTHING,” she wrote. Derges pleaded not guilty to the February 1 charges. She's scheduled to appear in court on May 3, 2021.
