Milwaukee, Wisconsin /
Steven BrandenburgThe Wisconsin pharmacist accused of ruining more than 500 doses of the covid-19 vaccine will plead guilty in federal court and could face up to 20 years in prison, prosecutors say circles close to the case.
Brandenburg is formally charged with two counts of “attempting to handle consumer products without regard to the risk of another person being in danger of death or personal injury “, a charge that carries at least 10 years in prison each.
The pharmacist would face, in addition to the penalty, a fine of 500 thousand dollars (10 million 24 thousand 950 Mexican pesos) for both charges. He had originally been charged with property damage, but prosecutors warned that more serious charges could arise if evidence showed that Moderna’s vaccine doses were ruined.
Authorities declined to comment beyond a press release announcing the charges.
“Manipulating vaccine doses in the midst of a global health crisis demands a firm response, as reflected in the serious charges the United States has filed today,” the acting deputy attorney general said in a statement. Brian Boynton, Of the Civil Division of the Federal Department of Justice.
Jason Baltz, Brandenburg’s lawyer, declined to comment on the allegations against his client. No sentencing hearing has been scheduled.
Police arrested Brandenburg on Dec. 31 as part of an investigation into how 57 jars of Moderna’s covid-19 vaccine were left outside for hours outside a refrigerator at the medical center. Lawyer Aurora Health in Grafton, a suburb of Milwaukee.
The vials contained enough dose to inoculate more than 500 people. Authorities stated in court documents that Brandenburg is a believer in conspiracy theories, in which he claimed that the vaccine made by messenger RNA would mutate human DNA.
Adam Gerol, Ozaukee County District Attorney said in a statement that “it was necessary to bring an adequate level of prosecution and punishment to this case” in federal court, reiterating that “the facts of this incident simply did not fit to a charge under Wisconsin law. “
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