($TELO): A Preclinical Pipe Dream Fueled by Promotions & Questionable Leadership
Pump, Promote, Dilute: Jonnie R. Williams control: Mira Pharmaceuticals ($MIRA) and TNF Pharmaceuticals ($TNFA)
TELO: Red Flags and Related Entities Raise Concerns
TELO Bioscience, founded and owned by Jonnie R. Williams Sr., shares striking parallels with two sister companies also under Williams’ control: Mira Pharmaceuticals ($MIRA) and TNF Pharmaceuticals (TNFA). MIRA, a preclinical-stage biotech with a market cap under $20 million, and TNFA, with a minuscule $4 million market cap but over $10 million in cash, mirror TELO’s focus on age-related conditions. Notably, both TELO and MIRA share the same CEO and Chief Scientific Advisor—Erez Aminov, Williams’ son-in-law—and Dr. Chris Chapman, recently deceased, held executive roles across these entities, adding to the interconnected leadership web.
Key Red Flags:
Preclinical-Only “Anti-Aging” Claims:
TELO’s only asset, TELOMIR-1, is in the preclinical stage for osteoarthritis. Their latest claim—cellular aging prevention in cells from children with Progeria—mirrors recent anti-aging biotech hype (see KLTO) but lacks clinical validation. No human trials, no FDA milestones.Aggressive Promotion Campaigns:
Multiple paid stock promotions have been used to generate buzz around TELO, despite lack of progress or fundamental news. Classic hallmarks of a retail pump.Suspicious Leadership History – Jonnie R. Williams Sr.:
The founder of TELO has a troubling track record, including:Founder of Star Scientific, which filed for bankruptcy.
Central figure in the 2014 corruption scandal involving former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. Williams admitted under oath to giving illegal gifts in exchange for political favors promoting his prior company’s product (Anatabloc).
Involved in multiple pump-and-dump style plays over the past two decades.
Financing Red Flags – Bay Shore Trust Deal:
TELO secured a $3M loan from the obscure Bay Shore Trust, issuing them warrants for 2.4M shares at $3.73/share. This raises concerns:Only one prior deal from Bay Shore is in financial databases.
They went with this structure despite having an ATM (At-the-Market offering) and shelf capacity—suggesting desperation for cash.
Cash Concerns:
As of May 14, TELO said cash would only last through Q2 2025, even after the Bay Shore raise. This implies a cash cliff is imminent unless they dilute shareholders further.“Bottom Bouncer” Trading Pattern:
TELO has no history of big volume breakouts and tends to bounce around yearly lows—a pattern often exploited by short-term traders.IPO Lockup Expired:
Lockup from the August 2023 IPO has expired, opening the door for insider selling if any shares remain unrestricted.
The Founder’s Troubling History
Perhaps most concerning is TELO’s founder, Jonnie R. Williams Sr., who brings a long, checkered history of failed ventures and legal troubles:
Williams was the CEO of Star Scientific, a tobacco-turned-nutraceutical company that later became Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals and filed for bankruptcy in 2016.
In 2014, he was a central figure in a high-profile political corruption case, testifying that he gave over $170,000 in gifts, vacations, and loans to Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to promote his company’s product, Anatabloc.
According to court records and media reports, Williams admitted to paying for luxury shopping sprees, flights, and events — all to secure favorable treatment.
He’s been linked to multiple companies that used aggressive promotional tactics, collapsed in value, or were delisted.
Bay Shore Trust behind June 2023 Loan Warrants $2,439,024 @ $3.73
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1971532/000149315224005876/form424b4.htm
A Familiar Trading Pattern
TELO’s IPO lockup expired in August 2024.
The stock has never sustained high volume moves.
It routinely trades at or near yearly lows, only to “bottom bounce” after press releases.
This behavior is consistent with low-float, retail-targeted tickers, where insiders or financiers quietly offload shares during periods of promotional volume.
Conclusion
Telomir Pharmaceuticals ($TELO) is not a cutting-edge anti-aging biotech — it's a recycled promotional vehicle, featuring:
No clinical trials
No real institutional backing
Suspicious financing
An infamous founder
And a pattern of promotional spikes followed by dilution
The Red Flag Research believes shares of $TELO are likely to trend significantly lower as the hype fades and reality sets in.
This isn’t hype. It’s research.
We called it. They dumped it. Our readers saw it coming.
Don’t miss the next one.
— The RedFlag Research Co. Team Takeaway for Readers:
Redflag Research is not investment advice. All statements made by Redflag Research reflect the opinions of its authors. Redflag Research and its contributors do not hold short positions in any companies featured in its reports.