>> Do you believe that you
survived cancer because of the
power of these seeds?
>> That is my story.
That's part of my story.
>> Jason vale grew up in queens,
New York, and was an arm
wrestling world champion.
But at just 18 years old, he
received the devastating news
that he had cancer.
And the diagnosis was not good.
>> At 18 years old, I had a
tumor that only 20 to 40 people
had it.
They all died within a year.
>> That must have been very
tough for you.
>> No, I don't know why.
I just believed I was going to
be fine.
>> Jason beat the cancer after
having rounds of radiation and
chemotherapy.
He went back to his life as a
professional arm wrestler.
But then the cancer came back.
>> At 19 years old, it came back
again.
I was able to read the ct scan.
I remember the pain.
I saw it.
I went home, I said mom's, the
tumor is back again.
It was in my spine that time.
>> Jason had heard about studies
claiming that apricot seeds help
with cancer.
He decided to try that instead
of the traditional treatments he
did the first time.
And to many people's surprise,
Jason said he beat the cancer
>> A lot of people have been
poisoned by it.
>> Not poisoned.
>> Hundreds of people.
>> Upset stomach.
Well, there's only --
>> Perhaps thousands of people.
>> They say the word poisoned,
but no one died.
It's true seeds can be pretty
powerful.
>> Well, no one that we know of.
>> No one that we know of.
When you look up something like
vioxx, 40,000 people died from
It was still on the market for
five years.
>> Jason also claims he has had
no real complaints about any of
his seeds or products he sells.
In fact, that is why he says
he's innocent and that he's
actually helping people.
The fda disagrees.
>> When the fda investigated
you, they executed a search
warrant on your mother's email
address, and they did find an
email from a customer.
>> One email.
>> That said that they had been
severely poisoned.
>> Right.
I believe I called that person.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> She took -- I think she took
the b17.
She felt nauseous for an hour or
two.
That was the extent of it.
She used the word poisoned.
One person.
>> You're saying that was the
only complaint you've ever had
in 20-plus years of selling
>> No, I said people said they
got nauseous.
>> How many?
>> Maybe eight, nine, ten people
out of hundreds of thousands
ever people.
>> What do you say to people
that say you are preying on
people who are sick, people who
are desperate to live another
day and people who will try
anything?
>> Prey?
Prey?
Never.
>> But you're profiting.
>> Never.
>> The government said you made
nearly a million dollars over
the past six years selling these
seeds.
>> A million dollars?
No, no, no.
>> And some other items --
>> I don't know the numbers, but
that goes paying for the
product.
That goes paying for people
packing things.
When you say preying, preying on
people, I would never do that.
I was a cancer victim.
I just want to help people.
That's all I want to do is help
people and open their eyes to
doing other things besides just
chemo and radiation, which I
don't even tell people not to do
chemo and radiation.
I did chemo and radiation when I
was 19 years old, and I think it
might have helped save my life
for a few years until I found
out about the seeds.
>> Now some of the New York
papers are flat out calling you
a quack.
When you hear these titles, how
do you feel?
>> I laugh.
These are terms that we used
back in the dark ages.
It's just ignorant people saying
ignorant things.
That's all it is.
>> Are you a con man?
>> If you think I'm a con man,
then I don't know what to say.
>> Well, what's your motive
here?
What's your motive?
>> You see my heart.
I'm throwing my heart out here.
If you think I'm lying, then,
you know, I don't know if you
have a good -- you know, I mean
you can tell.
I'm going to let you answer
that.
>> Adding another twist, it
wasn't just Jason involved in
selling seeds.
The feds say his mom was too.
She was also arrested, and now
awaits trial.
Are you worried that your
mother, 77 years old, may have
to go to prison because of this
business?
>> I don't believe my mother is
going to -- my mother's tough.
If my mother went to prison, I
think she'd have a great time.
>> The whole thing is a
fascinating story.
Jason and his mother, by the
way, are still in plea
negotiations with the U.S.
Attorney and should be back in
court next month.
And we must remind everyone that
the fda and medical community
say that apricot seeds are
potentially very dangerous.