A Wisconsin pharmacist has agreed to plead guilty to charges brought before the federal court today that he tried to render hundreds of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine ineffective.
According to court documents filed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Steven R. Brandenburg, 46, from Grafton, Wisconsin, was charged with two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products with reckless negligence for the risk of another person is at risk of death or personal injury. Brandenburg agreed to plead guilty to the charges, which each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
As detailed in court documents, while working as a hospital pharmacist in Grafton, Wisconsin, on two successive night shifts in late December, Brandenburg purposely removed a box of COVID-19 vaccine bottles manufactured by Moderna – which should be stored in cold temperatures remain viable – from the hospital’s refrigeration unit with the intention of making vaccines inert and no longer effective. According to the plea agreement, Brandenburg declared that he was skeptical about vaccines in general and the Modern vaccine specifically. Brandenburg has communicated his vaccine beliefs to his co-workers for at least the past two years.
After leaving vaccines out for several hours each night, Brandenburg returned the vaccines to the refrigerator for use at the hospital’s vaccine clinic the next day. Before the full extent of Brandenburg’s conduct was discovered, 57 people received doses of the vaccine from these vials.
“Tampering with vaccine doses in the midst of a global health crisis requires a strong response, as reflected by the serious accusations the United States brought today,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Brian Boynton of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. . “The Department of Justice will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to ensure that the public receives safe and effective vaccines.”
“Distributing the COVID-19 vaccine is critical to overcoming this pandemic, which continues to end lives and bring down our economy,” said Attorney General Matthew D. Krueger. “As these charges show, the Department of Justice will prosecute anyone – especially any medical professional – who tamper with the vaccine.”
“The FDA has ensured that the Modern COVID-19 vaccine meets the agency’s strict standards for quality, safety and effectiveness,” said FDA Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations, Catherine A. Hermsen. “Those who intentionally tampered with this vaccine put the health of American patients at risk. Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that this type of illegal tampering will not be tolerated. “
“Pharmacists are among the most trusted professionals,” said special agent in charge of FBI Milwaukee, Robert Hughes. “This individual used his special access to tamper with vials of the much-needed COVID-19 vaccine. The FBI takes allegations of adulteration of consumer products very seriously and will use all available resources to bring to justice those who intentionally endangered public health. “
This matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Criminal Investigations Office, the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office and the Grafton Village Police Department. The case is being processed by United States Assistant Prosecutor Kevin C. Knight of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and senior litigation attorney Ross S. Goldstein and trial attorney Rachel Baron of the Department of Justice Civil Consumer Protection Division.
The allegations made in the information are allegations that, if the case had proceeded to trial, the government would have had to prove beyond any reasonable doubt to convict the defendant. The plea agreement expresses the defendant’s intention to plead guilty, but the defendant has not yet formally entered into a plea on this matter.
Additional information about the Department of Consumer Protection and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, visit www.justice.gov/usao-edwi. For information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to prevent COVID-19 fraud, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. To get the most up-to-date information about COVID-19, consumers can visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).