Jury acquits and deadlocks in Aloe Vera trial

(Baltimore-AP) -- An Oklahoma cosmetics maker was found innocent of eleven charges by a federal jury. <br><br>Odus Hennessee of Lawton, Oklahoma is president of Cosmetic Specialty Labs, Incorporated.

Friday, June 16th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Baltimore-AP) -- An Oklahoma cosmetics maker was found innocent of eleven charges by a federal jury.

Odus Hennessee of Lawton, Oklahoma is president of Cosmetic Specialty Labs, Incorporated.

Prosecutors contended Allen J- Hoffman of Baltimore and Hennessee were involved in a conspiracy to defraud terminally ill cancer and AIDS patients with bogus claims about an aloe vera solution.

Prosecutors said Hoffman sold the "T-Up" solution for $12,000 for a two-week course of intravenous treatment. The intravenous use of aloe vera is not approved by the U-S Food and Drug Administration and is illegal in the United States.

Cosmetic Specialty Labs supplied Hoffman with the aloe vera.

After deliberating for one week, jurors acquitted Hoffman of one count of mail fraud yesterday and deadlocked on 19 other counts.