Steven Brandenburg, 46, is charged with two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products, “with reckless disregard for the risk of another person being put in life-threatening or bodily injury,” the department said in a statement.
According to police, Brandenburg removed a 57-bottle storage bin containing more than 500 doses of Moderna vaccine at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton on Dec. 24 and 25. The vaccine must be kept cold to remain effective.
“Tampering with vaccine doses in the midst of a global health crisis calls for a strong response, as reflected in the serious charges the United States has filed today,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.
CNN reached out to a lawyer for Brandenburg for comment.
According to police, he allegedly gave a written statement to Aurora Medical Center’s public safety officials saying he intentionally removed the vials, knowing the doses would be ineffective if not stored properly.
According to the release, each charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
Brandenburg ‘believes in various’ conspiracy theories’; endorses the views on ‘alternative history’; and was skeptical about vaccines in general and the Modern vaccine specifically ‘, according to the plea agreement, reads the release.
“Brandenburg has communicated its beliefs about vaccinations to its associates for at least the past two years,” the release said.
The Aurora Medical Center said Brandenburg is no longer employed there.