Man who promised cures for Amish heads to prison

URBANA, Ill. - A man who told Illinois Amish families he could cure ailments by applying what he called a "wellness vibrator" to their necks is headed to prison.

The (Decatur) Herald & Review reported that Lonnie Lynch Jr. of Florida will serve a one-year sentence for tax evasion and operating a medical device not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

U.S. Attorney Ronda Coleman says patients told her the electric-powered device felt like a jackhammer hitting their backs and necks.

Lynch would often charge his Douglas County patients more than $200 for treatments. He would use the device to treat everything from back pain to headaches.

Defense attorney Robert Bernhoft said prosecutors had no proof the device hurt anyone.

An investigator says Lynch "preyed on vulnerable people."