TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced Thursday, August 4 that his office has obtained a consent judgment against the Center for COVID Control, LLC (CCC), its owner Aleya Siyaj, and her husband Akbar Syed.
The company is an Illinois-based service provider that collaborated with Doctors Clinical Laboratory (DCL) and testing sites around the country, including six independently owned locations in Arizona, to provide customers with free COVID testing.
“It is important for Arizonans to receive timely and accurate medical testing, particularly for the COVID-19 virus,” said Attorney General Brnovich. “If companies cannot provide the services they advertise, then they should not be offered.”
According to the Attorney General's Office, CCC claimed that clients would get RT-PCR test results in 48 hours and rapid antigen test results in 15 minutes.
Many Arizona residents did not receive results within this time frame, and others never did.
Furthermore, CCC staff at its Illinois call center informed Arizona customers that their test results were inconclusive when those tests had not been done, and in some cases, had never been run.
CCC, Siyaj and Syed are permanently banned from conducting medical testing services in Arizona, including marketing, data management, medical sample handling, compliance and training, and customer support for medical testing services.
Under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act, this is the most severe injunctive relief available.
CCC must also pay $20,000 in restitution to Arizona customers. To be considered, Arizona customers who think they have been affected by CCC's actions may register a complaint onlineby October 31, 2022.
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Bivian Contreras is a real-time editor for KGUN 9. Bivian graduated from the University of Arizona School of Journalism with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Broadcast and is currently pursuing a degree in Broadcast Operational Meteorology. Share your story ideas and important issues with Bivian by emailing bivian.contreras@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
