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A Wisconsin pharmacist has agreed to plead guilty to charges filed today in federal court for attempting to render hundreds of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine ineffective.
According to court documents filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Steven R. Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, Wisconsin, has been charged with two counts of attempted tampering with products from consumption with reckless disregard for the risk of someone else doing it. be in danger of death or bodily injury. Brandenburg has agreed to plead guilty to the charges, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
As detailed in court documents, while working as a hospital pharmacist in Grafton, Wisconsin, on two successive night shifts at the end of December, Brandenburg deliberately withdrew a box of COVID-vaccine vials. 19 manufactured by Moderna – which must be stored at specific cold temperatures. to remain viable – from the hospital refrigeration unit with the intention of rendering vaccines inert and ineffective. According to the plea deal, Brandenburg said he was skeptical of vaccines in general and the Moderna vaccine in particular. Brandenburg had communicated his vaccine beliefs to his colleagues for at least two years.
After leaving the vaccines outside for several hours each night, Brandenburg returned the vaccines to the refrigerator for use in the hospital vaccination clinic the next day. Before the full extent of the Brandenburg pipeline was discovered, 57 people received doses of the vaccine from these vials.
“Falsification of vaccine doses in the midst of a global health crisis calls for a strong response, as evidenced by the serious charges brought today by the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton of the division civil service from the Ministry of Justice. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to ensure the public receives safe and effective vaccines.”
“The distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is essential to overcome this pandemic, which continues to end lives and disrupt our economy,” said US Attorney Matthew D. Krueger. “As these accusations show, the Department of Justice will prosecute anyone – and in particular any healthcare professional – who tampers with the vaccine.”
“The FDA has ensured that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine meets the agency’s stringent standards for quality, safety and efficacy,” said FDA Deputy Commissioner of Criminal Investigations Catherine A. Hermsen. “Those who knowingly handle this vaccine put the health of American patients at risk. Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that this type of illicit forgery activity will not be tolerated. “
“Pharmacists are among the most trusted professionals,” said Robert Hughes, FBI Milwaukee Special Agent. “This individual used his special access to tamper with the vials of the COVID-19 vaccine if necessary. The FBI takes allegations of consumer product adulteration very seriously and will use all available resources to bring to justice those who intentionally put public health at risk.
This case has been reviewed by the Bureau of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, the Milwaukee Field Office of the FBI, and the Grafton Village Police Department. The case is being pursued by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Knight of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Senior Litigation Counsel Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Counsel Rachel Baron of the Division of consumer protection of the civil division of the Ministry of Justice.
The allegations made in the information are allegations that, had the case been tried, the government would have had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to convict the defendant. The plea agreement expresses the defendant’s intention to plead guilty, but the defendant has not yet formally pleaded in the matter.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information on the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, visit their website at www.justice.gov/usao-edwi. For more information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to end COVID-19 fraud, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. For the most recent information on COVID-19, consumers can visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
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