A pharmacist in Wisconsin who is accused of deliberately destroying the bottles of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is a flat earth and ‘very busy with conspiracy theories’, say colleagues.
Steven Brandenburg, 46, allegedly told an associate of Aurora Health Systems attorney that the sky “is a shield that the government erects to prevent individuals from seeing God.”
He was arrested on December 31 by officers at the Grafton Police Department and has since been investigated by the FBI, according to a warrant application obtained by Daily Beast.
Steven Brandenburg, 46, allegedly told a co-worker about his belief in conspiracy theories before tampering with the Moderna vaccination cabinet.
The vaccines, which were not tampered with except were removed from the refrigerator, were given to at least 57 patients
Brandenburg, left, has since been fired and sentenced to ten years in prison
Brandenburg, a pharmacist at the hospital pharmacy, is accused of recklessly endangering first-degree safety, the expiration of prescription drugs and criminal property damage.
Federal authorities allege that the pharmacist deliberately took a box of the vials out of the fridge, knowing that it could destroy the vaccine – which was then given to at least 57 patients.
Dr. Jeff Bahr, president of Aurora Health Care Medical Group, said there was no evidence that Brandenburg had tampered with the vaccine in any way other than removing it from the refrigerator.
A warrant application to search Brandenburg’s iPhone, laptop and USB stick has been filed by FBI Special Agent Lindsay Schloemer in federal court.
According to the warrant, investigators at the hospital interviewed an employee of Brandenburg named Sarah Sticker – who apparently discovered that vaccines had been tampered with and handed over to the box.
“Sticker immediately suspected Brandenburg of taking the vaccine out of the fridge because of his ruling against the vaccine,” the warrant reads.
“Brandenburg explained to Sticker that he does not believe the coronavirus is real, and he thinks the vaccine will harm people.”
Investigators interviewed a technician named Sarah Sticker who reportedly reported Brandenburg
Sticker told investigators that Brandenburg was “very busy with conspiracy theories” and thought the vaccine had been “clipped” to eliminate some people’s birth control while others became infertile.
“Sticker said Brandenburg has been expressing his theories at work for months to anyone who wants to listen,” the warrant said.
‘Some of the conspiracy theories Brandenburg told Sticker include: the earth is flat; the sky is not real, but rather a shield put on by the Government to prevent individuals from seeing God; and the day of judgment is coming. ‘
Brandenburg admitted to investigators that he had tampered with the vaccination vials and explained that he believed the Moderna vaccine ‘could hurt people and is not safe to administer’, according to the warrant.
“My actions were inexcusable and I apologize for the damage I caused,” Brandburg said in an email to investigators at the hospital.
Brandenburg, pictured, allegedly said that the sky is a ‘shield set up by the government’ to prevent people from seeing God
Brandburg then made a statement for his behavior to remove the vaccines from their refrigerator.
“This is no excuse, but I’ve been under tremendous pressure in my life for the past two weeks and the preceding six months,” Brandenburg wrote in the email, saying there was a divorce and a divorce from his children.
“In the last two weeks, I have had little or no sleep, alternating with too much sleep as the prescribed clonazepam, while the lack of sleep was too much to endure.”
Clonazepam, also known under its brand name Klonopin, is used to treat seizures, panic disorder and anxiety.
The pharmacist was also questioned by Grafton police, who recorded the interview with a body camera and admitted, according to the warrant, that he was a conspiracy theorist.
“Brandenburg noted that for the past 7 years he has had an interest in conspiracy theories and that he has expressed his convictions,” the warrant reads.
Sticker also told investigators that Brandenburg was carrying a 45-caliber pistol to work “if the military were to take him away.”
Gretchen Brandenburg, his wife, said in court statements on December 30 that he had filled a storage unit with ‘bulk food and guns’.
“I was so concerned about my safety and the safety of the children, that I left the city for a period of time,” Gretchen wrote in the documents obtained by WISN.
Gretchen also told the judge that Brandenburg thought ‘the government is planning cyber attacks and planning to shut down the power grid’, according to the outlet.
Brandenburg has since been released from his post and faces up to 10 years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine on each charge after agreeing to plead guilty to two counts of attempting to tamper with reckless misconduct on consumer products.