A Wisconsin pharmacist pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to breaking hundreds of doses of Moderna coronavirus vaccine.
Steven Brandenburg, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts of “recklessly reckless handling of consumer products for the risk of another person being endangered to death or personal injury.” Press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
“This individual used his special access to handle the vials of the much-needed COVID-19 vaccine. The FBI takes allegations of tampering with consumer goods very seriously and will use all available resources to bring them to justice that intentionally endangers public health, “said Milwaukee FBI Special Agent Robert Hughes, according to the statement.
Officials at the Advocate Aurora Health Medical Center in Grafton, Wis., Reported last month that an employee intentionally removed more than 50 ampoules of the Moderna vaccine from the freezer.
The incident was initially thought to be due to a “human error”, but Brandenburg was later suspected of doing so intentionally, considering the vaccine to be “unsafe”.
The Moderna vaccine must still be kept at lower temperatures to remain effective. According to the DOJ, Brandenburg took the vaccines out of the freezer for several hours on two consecutive nights. Fifty-seven people received vaccine doses from this group before Brandenburg’s actions were discovered.
The DOJ says Brandenburg has expressed his feelings about vaccines to his colleagues at the hospital for at least two years. Its actions are estimated to have destroyed more than 500 doses of vaccine.
Brandenburg’s license was suspended earlier this month after he was arrested by authorities on charges of reckless endangerment, adulteration of a prescription drug and property damage to property.