Chin Gets $175,000 Forfeiture Order

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A federal judge has formally approved a $175,000 forfeiture order against a former pharmacist convicted of playing a major role in the deadly 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak.
U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns sitting in Boston, Mass. approved the order this week against Glenn A. Chin, who is scheduled to begin serving an eight year prison term in less than a week.
Federal prosecutors had urged Stearns to approve an order forcing Chin to pay $611,774, but Stearns ruled that amount was excessive. Prosecutors subsequently submitted the formal order for a $175,000 forfeiture which Stearns approved.
Chin's lawyer had argued for the forfeiture of only $5,775.
Chin was convicted of racketeering, mail fraud and violations of the federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and is set to begin serving an eight year sentence on March 14. Stearns has recommended that he serve the sentence in the the federal prison in Danbury, Conn. as requested by Chin's lawyer, Stephen Weymouth.
Chin was a supervising pharmacist at the now defunct New England Compounding Center, the company blamed for the outbreak that took the lives of 76 patients. Nearly 700 others were also sickened.
Chin was in charge of NECC's clean room where thousands of vials of contaminated steroids were produced and shipped to be injected in unsuspecting patients. The fungus laden methylprednisolone acetate caused fungal meningitis, strokes and other illnesses.
Codefendant Barry Cadden already is serving a nine year sentence following his conviction on similar charges. Cadden was a part owner of NECC.
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