COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

12. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Operating Leases

ReceptoPharm leases a lab and renewed its operating lease agreement for five years beginning August 1, 2017 for monthly payments of approximately $6,900 with a 5% increase each year. In February of 2021, we signed an updated lease with extended terms through January 1, 2023. The lease called for monthly payments of approximately $6,500 with a 4% increase each year. In October 2022, we signed another lease extension, covering the period from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025, with monthly payments of $7,700 and an annual 4% increase.

	March 31,			December 31,
	2023			2022
Lease cost
Operating lease cost	$	23,339		$	104,867
Short-term lease cost		-			-
Total lease cost	$	23,339		$	104,867

Balance sheet information
Operating ROU Assets	$	251,951		$	537,228
Less accumulated amortization		(18,802	)		(285,277	)
Operating ROU Assets, net	$	233,149		$	251,951

Operating lease obligations, current portion		76,987			74,837
Operating lease obligations, non-current portion		156,810			177,114
Total operating lease obligations	$	233,797		$	251,951

Weighted average remaining lease term (in years) – operating leases		2.75			3
Weighted average discount rate-operating leases		8	%		8	%

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases were as follows:

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities	$	22,691		$	88,728

Future minimum payments under these lease agreements are as follows:

December 31,	Total
2023(remaining 9 months)	$	69,216
2024		94,847
2025		97,508
Total future lease payments	$	261,571
Less imputed interest		(27,774	)
Total	$	233,797

Consulting Agreements

During July 2015, we signed an agreement with a company to provide consulting services for five years. In connection with the agreement, 500,000 shares of our restricted common stock and a one year 8% note of $50,000 were granted. The shares were valued at $0.18 per share. As the services provided were in dispute, the shares and note payable have not been issued as of March 31, 2023. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 we have accrued 142,500 in accrued expenses on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

During October 2015, the Company signed an agreement with a consultant for consulting services for a year. In connection with the agreement, 2,500,000 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock were granted and the Company was to make monthly cash payments of $3,000. As of December 31, 2016, the Company recorded an equity compensation charge of $31,750, however, only 1,000,000 of the shares have been issued. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, $19,150 has been recorded in accrued expense to account for the 1,500,000 shares of common stock that have not been issued.

During September 2022, the Company renewed its consulting agreement with an external consultant for a three-year term, providing for monthly compensation of $10,000. Consulting expenses of $30,000 were recorded in each of the first quarter of 2023 and 2022 within selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Litigation

CSA 8411, LLC v. Nutra Pharma Corp., Case No. CACE 18-023150

On October 12, 2018, CSA 8411, LLC filed a lawsuit against the Company in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court in and for Broward County, Florida (Case No. CACE 18-023150) to recover $100,000 allegedly owed under an amended promissory note dated April 12, 2017. On November 1, 2018, the Company filed its Answer and Affirmative Defenses to the Complaint. The Company believes that this lawsuit is without merit. Moreover, the Company believes that it has a number of valid defenses to this claim. Among other things, the owner of CSA 8411, LLC violated the terms of a Binding Memorandum of Understanding by failing to invest in the Company and fraudulently inducing the Company to enter into the subject amended promissory note (contrary to the Get Credit Healthy lawsuit discussed above, we are certain that this individual is the majority owner of CSA 8411, LLC). Opposing counsel reached out to schedule mediation, and mediation was set for June 21, 2019 in Plantation, FL, however, the mediation was unsuccessful. Defendant also filed affirmative claims against the Plaintiff, its owner Dan Oran and several related entities. On May 19, 2025, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with the counterparty, under which the total obligation was resolved for $125,000. The settlement terms include an initial payment of $35,000 made on May 19, 2025, followed by nine monthly payments of $10,000 each. The agreement also provides that, in the event of a payment default not cured within five business days of written notice, the counterparty may seek entry of a consent judgment against the Company in the amount of $400,000, reduced by any amounts already paid under the settlement. At March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we owed principal balance of $91,156, and accrued interest of $65,492 and $62,795, respectively (See Note 6). The total liability recorded prior to the settlement on May 19, 2025 was $178,526, consisting of $91,156 in principal and $87,370 in accrued interest. The settlement of $125,000 will result in a gain on settlement of $53,526, which will be recognized upon full satisfaction of the payment terms (see Note 14).

Securities and Exchange Commission v. Nutra Pharma Corporation, Erik Deitsch, and Sean Peter McManus

On September 28, 2018, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Case No. 2:18-cv-05459) against the Company, Mr. Deitsch, and Mr. McManus. The lawsuit alleges that, from July 2013 through June 2018, the Company and the other defendants’ defrauded investors by making materially false and misleading statements about the Company and violated anti-fraud and other securities laws.

The violations alleged against the Company by the SEC include: (a) raising over $920,000 in at least two private placement offerings for which the Company failed to file required registration statements with the SEC; (b) issuing a series of materially false or misleading press releases; (c) making false statements in at least one Form 10-Q; and (d) failing to make required public filings with the SEC to disclose the Company’s issuance of millions of shares of stock. The lawsuit makes additional allegations against Mr. McManus and Mr. Deitsch, including that Mr. McManus acted as a broker without SEC registration and defrauded at least one investor by making false statements about the Company, that Mr. Deitsch engaged in manipulative trades of the Company’s stock by offering to pay more for shares he was purchasing than the amount the seller was willing to take, and that Mr. Deitsch failed to make required public filings with the SEC. The lawsuit seeks both injunctive and monetary relief.

On May 29, 2019 (following each of the defendants filing motions to dismiss), the SEC filed a First Amended Complaint which generally alleged the same conduct as its original Complaint, but accounted for certain guidance provided by the United States Supreme Court in a case that had been recently decided. Each of the defendants then moved to dismiss the SEC’s First Amended Complaint. On March 31, 2020, the Court entered an Order granting in part and denying in part the various motions to dismiss. Following that Order, the SEC filed a Second Amended Complaint (the operative pleading) and the defendants have filed their answers which generally deny liability. At this time, discovery is closed and the SEC has indicated an intent to file a summary judgment motion regarding certain non-fraud claims asserted in its Second Amended Complaint. The defendants have opposed the SEC’s request to file such motion(s). The Court conducted a hearing on February 23, 2021 and set an initial briefing schedule for the SEC’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment wherein the Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment was due on April 5, 2021, the Defendants’ Consolidated (i.e., collectively, Nutra Pharma Corporation, Erik “Rik” Deitsch, and Sean McManus) Response Brief to the SEC’s Motion was due May 3, 2021, and the Plaintiffs’ Reply Brief was due on May 19, 2021. On March 23, 2021, the Plaintiff filed a Motion for Extension of Time to file the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. On April 9, 2021, the Plaintiff filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, Defendants’ filed a Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion on May 7, 2021, and Plaintiff filed its Reply brief on May 21, 2021.

In July 2024, a final judgment was issued, ordering the defendant to pay $520,940 in disgorgement, $59,295 in prejudgment interest, and a $100,000 civil penalty. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had accrued a total legal settlement amount of $680,235 (See Note 9).

NUTRA PHARMA CORP 10-Q