Outbreak's Aftermath Rolls On

Major events in 2019* **

January- Gregory Conigliaro, former part owner and vice president of the New England Compounding Center files appeal of his jury conviction on the charge he conspired to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Appeals court orders the release of the addresses of jurors who heard a major NECC trial.

February- Barry Cadden and Glenn Chin are arraigned in Michigan on second degree murder charges.
Defefendant Alla Stepanets has her appeal denied.

April- Kathy Chin and Michelle Thomas on trial for violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act(FDCA).

May- Alla Stepanets sentenced to one year of probation for FDCA violations.
Gene Svirskiy sentenced to 30 month prison sentence. Christopher Leary gets eight month home confinement.

June- U.S. District Judge Overturns Jury Verdicts on Conigliaro, Carter.
Cadden, Chin face first hearing on Michigan Murder Charges.

July- Gene Svirskiy begins serving 30 month sentence for racketeering, mail fraud and related charges.

September- Chin, Cadden face Michigan hearing on second degree murder charges.
Seventh anniversary of the outbreak shows victims still suffering serious after effects.

October- Kathy Chin, Michelle Thomas Appeals Denied.
Michigan Judge Rules Cadden, Chin must attend hearing.

November- Three judge panel hears appeals in Cadden, Chin cases.
Michigan murder hearings resume. Next session in February.

December- Cadden House sold for $1.3 million.
Chin, Cadden remain in Michigan lock-up.
Kathy Chin and Michelle Thomas get probation.

* See www.meningitis-etc.blogspot.com for complete details.
** See https://meningitis-etc.blogspot.com/2019/12/necc-scorecard.html for indictment scorecard.

Victims Question Chin's Offer

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

In a Boston, Mass. courtroom last week a former employee of the New England Compounding Center,the company blamed for a deadly outbreak told a federal judge that she wanted to start a campaign to raise funds for the victims of that 2012 public health disaster.
Kathy Chin made the disclosure during her sentencing hearing. She made the statement to U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns moments before he imposed a sentence following her conviction of four violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.
She told Stearns that she hoped federal prosecutors would supply her with the names of the victims so she could contact them. Subsequently she was sentenced to two years of probation.
Though there were no victims present for the Thursday hearing, a subsequent query to victims brought a less than favorable response.
"I do not believe anything she or the others (defendants) say. They have had seven plus years to try to help the victims. And there was nothing done. They are only looking out for themselves," wrote Linda S. Boggs, a Virginia victim of the outbreak in an email response to requests for comment.
She, like other victims expressed concerns about the possible disclosure of her name and any contact information.
"If she is sincere she can work through our attorneys," Boggs added.
Donna Borton, the spouse of a Michigan victim, said she was surprised to hear of Chin's offer in light of the fact that the Chins sought a court appointed attorney because they couldn't afford one.
Kathy Chin's husband, Glenn, was also a defendant in the case and is now serving an eight year prison sentence following his conviction on racketeering and mail fraud charges.
Stating that she was unsure of Kathy Chin's motive for making the offer, Borton said she and her husband Ken were "a little suspicious of her intentions."
"We really don't want her to have any of our personal information," Borton wrote, adding that they and other victims "pretty much agree that no one trusts anyone with any ties to NECC."
Dawn Elliott, an Indiana Victim,was equally skeptical.
"In my opinion I will truly be surprised if Kathy Chin does anything. I feel it is too little too late and had she wanted to really do anything she would have done it a long time ago. I truly do not believe she is sincere. She may truly be sorry, but I don’t think she will truly do a thing to help anyone," Elliott wrote.
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Sentencing Set for Key NECC Witness

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

An April 22 date has been set for the long delayed sentencing of a key government witness in the criminal case stemming from the deadly 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak.
In an order issued late last week U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns set the date for Robert Ronzio of North Providence, R.I., who was the head of sales at the New England Compounding Center, the company that produced thousands of vials of an injectable steroid laden with deadly fungi.
Under a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Ronzio entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December of 2016.
Ronzio was a key witness in the trials of Barry Cadden and Glenn Chin. Cadden was NECC's president and part owner while Chin was a supervising pharmacist in the clean room where the contaminated methylprednisolone acetate was prepared.
Both Cadden and Chin were found guilty of racketeering, conspiracy and mail fraud charges and are now serving federal prison sentences. The two are also facing second degree murder charges in Michigan.
Ronzio also testified in subsequent trials of NECC defendants, including the most recent trial of two former NECC pharmacists.
Ronzio's sentencing had been scheduled for Jan. 31, 2018 but was then delayed indefinitely under a joint agreement between federal prosecutors and Ronzio's lawyers.
Under his plea agreement Ronzio admitted to being involved in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Ronzio's sentencing is scheduled for 3 p.m. on April 22 in Stearns' Boston, Mass. courtroom.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

NECC Scorecard

NECC Indictment Scorecard
Here are the names of those indicted in the probe of the New England Compounding Center and the outcome of their cases.

Barry J. Cadden*: convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud and violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDC Act). (Cleared of second degree murder charges) Currently serving nine year federal prison sentence. Release date June 6, 2025.
Glenn Chin*: found guilty of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud and violations of the FDCA. (Cleared of second degree murder charges) Serving an eight year federal prison sentence. Release date Feb. 26, 2025.
Gene Svirskiy: Convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, violations of the FDCA. Serving 30 month prison sentence. Release date Aug. 26, 2021
Scott M. Connolly: entered guilty plea to nine counts of mail fraud. Sentenced to two years probation.
Sharon P. Carter: convicted of conspiracy to defraud the federal government. Acquitted on appeal.
Alla V. Stepanets: convicted of six violation of the FDCA. Sentenced to one year probation.
Gregory A. Conigliaro: convicted of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Acquitted on appeal.
Robert A. Ronzio: entered guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the FDA. Sentencing delayed indefinitely.
Christopher Leary: convicted of mail fraud and violations of the FDCA. Sentenced to eight months home confinement.
Kathy S. Chin: Convicted of four violations of the FDCA with intent to defraud. Sentenced to two years probation.
Michelle L. Thomas: Convicted of two violations of the FDCA with intent to defraud. Sentenced to one year probation.
Carla R. Conigliaro: Pleaded guilty to violations of financial transaction reporting laws. Sentenced to probation
Douglas A. Conigliaro Pleaded guilty to violations of financial transaction reporting laws. Sentenced to probation.
Joseph M. Evanosky: cleared of all charges.
* Cadden and Chin are still facing second degree murder charges in Michigan.
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Final Defendant Gets 1 Year Probation

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

The final defendant in the criminal case stemming from a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak was sentenced to one year of probation today in a session before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns in his Boston, Mass. courtroom.
Michelle Thomas, who was a pharmacist at the New England Compounding Center, was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment. She is the last of 14 originally indicted following a two year probe of the deadly 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak.
Eleven of the 14 were found guilty or entered guilty pleas. Two of the 14 had their jury convictions overturned by Stearns and one of the 14 was acquitted on a jury verdict.
Thomas was convicted on two counts of violating the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Prosecutors charged that she approved the shipping of prescriptions for patients with obviously fake names.
The one year of probation was one year less than that recommended by federal prosecutors.
Co-defendant Kathy Chin was sentenced Thursday to two years of probation. Chin was convicted of four counts of violating the FDCA.
Three of the original 14, Glenn Chin, Barry Cadden and Gene Svirskiy are currently serving jail sentences. Kathy Chin is the spouse of Glenn Chin.
Kathy Chin and Thomas were not charged with any involvement in the production of the fungus riddled drugs that caused the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

NECC Pharmacist Gets 2 Years Probation

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A one time licensed pharmacist who approved prescriptions for shipment that were prescribed for obviously fictitious patients was sentenced today to two years of probation by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns sitting in Boston, Mass.
The sentence was imposed on Kathy Chin who worked as a pharmacist at the now defunct New England Compounding Center, the company blamed for a 2012 deadly fungal meningitis outbreak. The charges against Chin did not involve the contaminated drugs that caused the outbreak.'
She was charged with violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.
The sentence imposed by Stearns was the same as recommended by the U.S. Attorney's office.
Kathy Chin is the spouse of Glenn Chin, who was a supervising pharmacist at NECC and in charge of the clean room where the contaminated drugs were produced. He is currently serving an eight year sentence following his conviction on racketeering, conspiracy and mail fraud charges.
The Chins were two of 14 persons with ties to NECC who were indicted following a two year probe of the fungal meningitis outbreak. Another defendant, Michelle Thomas, is scheduled for sentencing tomorrow.

Cadden, Chin Remain in Michigan

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

The two primary defendants in the criminal case stemming from a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak remain jailed in Michigan where they are facing 11 additional second degree murder charges.
Officials of the Michigan Attorney General's office say that Barry J. Cadden and Glenn Chin will be kept in the Livingston County jail in Howell until mid February when two days of hearings are scheduled on the second degree murder charges.
The two already are serving sentences in federal prison following their conviction on racketeering, mail fraud and conspiracy charges.
According to Michigan officials the two are being kept in Michigan to avoid the expense of transporting them back and forth to federal prisons in Pennsylvania where they have been serving their federal sentences.
Cadden has been serving a nine year sentence at the federal prison in Loretto, PA., while Chin has been serving an eight year sentence at the federal prison in Allenwood, PA.
They were brought to Michigan for a pre-trial hearing in November and are scheduled for appearances on Feb.13 and 14th in Livingston County District Court.
Assistant John Buck of the Michigan Attorney General's office said the continued hearings are being held to determine if there is probable cause to bring the two to trial on the second degree murder charges.
The two were charged in the deaths of Donna Kruzich; Paula Brent; Lyn Laperriere; Sally Roe; Mary Plettl; Gayle Gibson; Patricia Malafouris; Emma Todd; Jennie Barth; Ruth Madouse and Karine Baxter.
Cadden was president and part owner of the New England Compounding Center, the company that produced the contaminated steroids that cause the 2012 outbreak. Chin was the supervising pharmacist in the clean room where the tainted drugs were produced.
The November sessions marked the second time Cadden and Chin appeared in a Michigan court room. They both were present for an arraignment session in February, following which they were sent back to Pennsylvania.
Lawyers for the two had asked that they not be required to attend the February sessions but Judge Shauna Murphy ruled that both must be present.
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