It’ll spoil his day.
The Wisconsin ex-pharmacist suspected of intentionally destroying more than 500 COVID vaccine doses was formally charged with a crime Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
Steven Brandenburg, 46, is charged with misdemeanor criminal damage to property, according to Milwaukee NBC affiliate WTMJ. He faces a maximum sentence of nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Brandenburg was working at Aurora Medical Center on Dec. 24 in the north Milwaukee suburb of Grafton when he removed 57 vials containing the Moderna-produced COVID-19 vaccine from a refrigerator, investigators have said.
Authorities say Brandenburg removed the vials with the intent of ruining the vaccine. He believed the vaccine would change people’s DNA, he later told investigators, parroting a false internet conspiracy.
Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol previously said Brandenburg could face felony charges depending on the results of tests run by Moderna. Test results are still pending, WTMJ reported.
Brandenberg lost his pharmacist’s license last week.
