VR Labs Trial: Former employee testifies on operation of owners’ previous company, Herbal Sciences

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FILE Photo from March 2017 – VR Labs. Credit: WINK News.

Testimony is underway in the trial against a couple accused of living a lavish lifestyle on the taxpayer’s dime.

Investigators say the owners of VR Labs and an associate took $5 million of your taxpayer dollars, promising to bring jobs to our area, but it never happened.

Federal prosecutors called their first witness, a former employee of the Gows who ran the operations of their previous company called Herbal Sciences.

Prosecutors used this witness to establish the Gows’ track record and financial issues.

That witness, John McClelland, brought in investors to help launch and run an operations facility in Singapore for Herbal Sciences.

But he says the Gows’ company never had a profit, and no products were ever made at the Singapore facility.

McCleland said Herbal Sciences burned through cash, and the Gows spent excessive budget money on plane tickets and hotel rooms.

However, in cross examination, the defense questioned McClelland’s character and leadership skills saying he poorly ran operations.

Kay Gow is still expected to take the stand in this trial, as well as former Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp.

The former VR Labs CEO is on the prosecution’s witness list.

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