A Wisconsin pharmacist was arrested after authorities say he deliberately left hundreds of doses of the Moderna Covid 19 vaccine out of refrigeration.
Steven, 46, was arrested by Grafton police after 57 vials of the vaccine appeared to have been ruined, NBC News reports. Police say he took the vials out of a refrigerator and left them out for about 12 hours. According to a probable cause statement from Grafton police Detective Sergeant Eric Sutherland, each vial held ten doses, with a total value between $8,550 and $11,400.
The statement says Steven told investigators he believed the vaccine was not safe and could harm people or change their DNA. Sutherland described him as an admitted conspiracy theorist, and the statement says he admitted the act was intentional.
A judge at Ozaukee County Circuit Court ordered him held on a $10,000 bond during a brief court appearance. He was arrested on suspicion of recklessly endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property. These are allegations, and no conviction had been entered at the time of this report.
Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol said it was not yet clear whether the doses were actually destroyed or could still be used. Moderna officials would need to examine the vials, Gerol said, and the charges could be reduced if the doses turn out to be usable.
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