Seven NECC Defendants Now Face Trial

By Walter F. Roche Jr

With the trials of the two most prominent defendants now complete, seven more of the 14 indicted in the aftermath of a deadly national fungal meningitis outbreak are nearing a yet to be finally determined trial date in U.S. District Court in Boston, Mass.
One of those defendants, Sharon P. Carter, is asking the court to pick up the tab for her defense, according to papers filed last week. Carter, citing her depleting financial resources, is asking for the court, to allow her to continue with her existing attorney but with the federal government picking up the tab.
Carter also sought to have her personal financial records filed under seal with the court. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns granted that motion but left it to Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal to determine whether Carter qualifies for a court paid counsel.
Carter was the director of operations at the New England Compounding Center, the company blamed for the fungal meningitis outbreak.
The trial for Carter and the six other remaining defendants follows the convictions of Barry J. Cadden and Glenn Chin. Cadden, the president and part-owner of NECC already is serving a nine-year sentence following his conviction on racketeering, mail fraud and related charges. Chin's sentencing is set for Jan. 30.
Chin was also convicted of racketeering and mail fraud. Both Chin and Cadden avoided conviction on 25 counts of second degree murder connected to the racketeering charges.
Stearns had previously indicated that the trial for the remaining defendants would take place following the Cadden and Chin trials.
The others facing trial with Carter are Gene Svirskiy, a supervisor in one of the clean rooms where sterile drugs were prepared, Christopher Leary, who worked in a clean room, Joseph Evanosky, who also worked in a clean room, Scott M. Connolly, a one time pharmacy technician, Alla Stepanets, a licensed pharmacist, and Gregory A. Conigliaro, an NECC vice president, in charge of regulatory compliance.
Robert Ronzio, who was NECC's sales chief, has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy charges and awaits sentencing. Douglas and Carla Conigliaro entered guilty pleas to vastly reduced charges and were fined and placed on probation.
Stearns dismissed charges against two other NECC defendants, Kathy Chin and Michele Thomas. The dismissal is under appeal. He dismissed the same charges against Stepanets but she still faces a conspiracy charge.
The outbreak, caused by NECC steroids contaminated with deadly fungi sickened 778 patients, killing at least 76 of them.
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