Pharmacist sentenced, COVID vaccine tampering case

MILWAUKEE - A former suburban Milwaukee hospital pharmacist convicted of deliberately tampering with hundreds of doses of COVID-19 vaccines with the intent to render them ineffective late last year, out of an unfounded belief they were unsafe, was sentenced by a federal judge to three years in prison Tuesday.

Steven Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to tamper with a consumer product in January. He appeared in a Milwaukee federal courtroom Tuesday, June 8, for sentencing.

"This was a serious offense. This happened in the midst of a global pandemic," said District Judge Brett Ludwig.

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Ludwig sentenced Brandenburg to three years in prison on each count, with those sentences to be served concurrently; three years of supervised release, and a requirement to participate in a mental health treatment program. Prosecutors had requested a sentence of more than four years confinement. He had been out on a personal recognizance bond as both the federal, as well as a state case, wound its way through the legal system. Brandenburg was to report to the U.S. Marshals service no later than 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Brandenburg worked as a pharmacist at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton and admitted to intentionally removed hundreds of doses of the Moderna vaccine from refrigerated storage on two occasions in late December, out of the unfounded belief they were harmful.

"Those doses that were compromised were our very first doses," said Aurora Grafton Medical Center President Dr. Michelle Blakely as she addressed the court, just feet away from Brandenburg.

Ultimately, 57 people were administered the vaccine from those vials. At the time Brandenburg’s actions were uncovered, it was unclear if the vaccines were rendered ineffective. Later tests found that those who were administered the tampered vaccines were protected from the virus that causes COVID-19.

However, officials say effects still linger from Brandenburg’s actions.

"The team is still very troubled. The pharmacy team is struggling building morale and confidence around this," Blakely said.

Court filings say Brandenburg, an admitted conspiracy theorist, was skeptical of vaccines in general, telling prosecutors he believed the COVID-19 vaccine was microchipped and made recipients infertile.

Brandenburg’s defense attorney said his client struggled with mental health issues until he became a believer in Jesus Christ, describing him as a devout Christian. But then a pending divorce, child custody battle, stress of the pandemic and work, and belief in conspiracy theories, such as the demonstrably false claim the earth is flat, contributed to his actions.

"Steve was not rational, due to the amount of stress he was under," said attorney Jason Baltz. "It doesn’t make a lot of sense."

"I am taking total responsibility for my actions, no matter how scattered my life was. I did these two actions. It was not appropriate. It was not legal," Brandenburg said to the court.

Brandenburg said he feels "great shame" and is "tormented by it daily."

"I caused harm. I did this irrational thing. I feel terrible, every day," he said after apologizing to his coworkers, families and their loved ones, saying Advocate Aurora is a "pillar of the community."

Brandenburg later apologized to his ex-wife and her family, their two daughters, while also apologizing for anyone with the same last name in Ozaukee County.

Prior to the start of the hearing, Ludwig addressed the courtroom saying that while there is still a masking order in effect for the federal courthouse, those present and vaccinated could remove their masks. Brandenburg was the only one who remained masked.

"It is a fortuity no one was harmed here," said Ludwig, adding that if Brandenburg’s efforts to destroy the vaccine hadn’t failed and not discovered, how many people could have thought they were protected from developing COVID-19, exposed patients, family and loved ones to the disease.

"You abused that trust, (you) abdicated that responsibility."

Ludwig waived any associated fines with the charges, but Brandenburg must pay nearly $84,000 in restitution.

"You will have a chance to put this all behind you. You owe it to yourself, your family, your daughters," Ludwig said, addressing Brandenburg. "I wish you luck in achieving that redemption."

Advocate Aurora Health issued the following statement: 

"With safety always our top priority, we continue to move forward after the despicable actions of this individual. Since this incident, our successful vaccination program has continued with more than 700,000 doses administered to date, and the dropping COVID-19 numbers show how important the vaccines have been in moving us toward the end of the pandemic. The vaccines are safe and effective, and we remain fully committed to doing our part to distribute them in our communities."

"Ensuring access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is critical to the well-being of everyone in our communities," said Richard Frohling, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. "The Department of Justice is committed to working with its federal, state, and local partners to hold individuals who seek to tamper with these vaccines fully accountable. Today’s sentence was the direct result of that shared commitment and the underlying hard work and collaborative efforts of all involved in the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Brandenburg."

While Brandenburg's legal saga is over in federal court, he still faces state charges of attempted criminal damage to property related to the tampering with the vaccines.

However, when a person has been charged in both state and federal court relating to the same crime, state charges are generally dismissed following the conclusion of the federal case.

Brandenburg is scheduled to appear in an Ozaukee County courtroom on the state charges next week.