Denver Business Owner To Pay $62K For Making False Claims About Hand Sanitizer

DENVER (CBS4) — State investigators say a Denver-based entrepreneur was making false claims about the hand sanitizer he began producing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Cole Evans will pay $62,500 to Colorado for misleading buyers and consumers.

Evans began selling hand sanitizer under the "Handzfree" label, among other labels, in March.

Investigators say Evans falsely claimed that the hand sanitizer would be manufactured by Oralabs in Denver.

Also, a website claimed Evans' company owned manufacturing facilities in Colorado and Texas, and that they had various certifications required to produce the product.

"These claims were false," the Attorney General's Office stated.

Investigators say the hand sanitizer did contain enough alcohol to be effective and was not unsafe for consumers -- but said businesses "must be held accountable for fraudulent and misleading practices, particularly during a pandemic."