By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Yet another delay is being requested in the sentencing of a key government witness in the criminal case stemming from the deadly 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak.
Lawyers for Robert Ronzio and federal prosecutors filed a joint motion today in U.S. District Court in Boston asking that Ronzio's scheduled April 6 sentencing be postponed until the First Circuit Court of Appeals acts on a closely related appeal.
Under a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney Ronzio, who was the sales chief at the New England Compounding Center, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration.
NECC was the source of thousands of vials of fungus riddled methylprednisolone acetate that was injected into hundreds of unsuspecting patients. Over 100 of them eventually died while hundreds more were sickened with fungal meningitis.
Ronzio was charged with conspiring with two other NECC officials, Gregory Conigliaro and Sharon Carter. The two were found guilty on Dec. 13,2018 following a jury trial, but then had their convictions overturned by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns.
Conigliaro was vice president and part owner for NECC while Carter was director of operations at the Framingham, Mass. drug compounding facility.
Federal prosecutors are appealing Stearn's decision but the three judge panel that heard the case has yet to rule.
In return for his plea deal Ronzio testified extensively for prosecutors in the trials of other NECC defendants.
The April 6 sentencing date was set in late August of 2020.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
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