By Walter F. Roche Jr.
A Feb. 8, 2022 hearing date has been set for the government's star witness in the criminal case stemming from the deadly 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak.
In an order issued today U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns set the 10 a.m. hearing for Robert Ronzio, the former sales chief for the now defunct New England Compounding Center. Ronzio entered a guilty plea to a charge of conspiring to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Ronzio's sentencing was delayed multiple times as prosecutors awaited a ruling by the First Circuit Court of Appeals on a closely related case. That ruling, issued Sept. 27, restored the convictions of two other defendants, Gregory Conigliaro and Sharon Carter, on the same conspiracy charge.
In a 2016 plea deal with federal prosecutors Ronzio agreed to a guilty plea on reduced charges in return for his testimony against other NECC defendants. Ronzio then testified extensively against NECC president Barry Cadden, pharmacist Glenn Chin and several other defendants.
The sentencing will take place in Stearns Boston courtroom.
In related action Conigliaro and Carter are set to appear Wednesday for a bail setting session before U.S. Magistrate Jennifer Boale. That session is set for 2 p.m. in Boston.
Conigliaro, a part owner of NECC, was also NECC's vice president. Carter was NECC's director of operations.
The 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak, which ultimately killed over 100 patients, was caused by highly contaminated steroids produced by NECC.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
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