Texas Attorney General files lawsuit against fuel additive company

By Holly Fleming

Published on May 31, 2006

Abbott obtained a restraining order and asset freeze against BioPerformance as well, which was set up as a pyramid scheme.

President/owner Lowell Mims and co-owner Gustavo Romero of Irving, Texas advertise on the Internet and in seminars in Texas and other states. Their ads falsely claim that BioPerformance's "top secret gas pill" can increase fuel efficiency by 30 percent, and cut emissions by 50 percent.

Scientists who tested the product found that the pills were mostly naphthalene, a chemical found in mothballs. Human exposure to naphthalene via ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact can result in neurological or liver damage and anemia.

During BioPerformance seminars, consumers are urged to become "dealers"; dealer start-up costs range from $300 to $500 and up. Members are paid on the basis of how many other dealers they recruit, which is by definition a pyramid scheme. On its website, the company claims to have almost 4,500 members and $25 million in sales since December, 2005.