John Andrew Welden, Product Tampering, Florida 2013

Tampa, FL – In a shocking case of product tampering, John Andrew Welden was sentenced to 13 years and 8 months in federal prison for tampering with a consumer product resulting in bodily injury to the victim, Remee Lee, and for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Welden, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara on charges related to the death of Lee’s unborn child.

According to court documents, Welden obtained and tampered with Cytotec pills by removing the identifying information from the pills. On March 29, 2013, Welden gave the pills to Lee, in a pill bottle, with a label falsely describing the pills as Amoxicillin. Shortly after taking one of the Cytotec pills, Lee began experiencing severe cramping and bleeding, resulting in the death of her unborn child.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and Assistant United States Attorneys W. Stephen Muldrow and Josephine W. Thomas prosecuted Welden. Welden pleaded guilty on September 9, 2013, to the charges.

Following two days of expert witness testimony on January 8th and 9th, 2014, Judge Lazzara found in favor of the United States and determined that the Cytotec pill taken by Lee, at the direction of Welden, caused her to suffer serious bodily injury and resulted in the death of her unborn child.

Welden was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on the consumer product offense and 44 months in prison on the mail fraud charge, to be served consecutively. The court also ordered Welden to pay restitution in the amount of $28,541, with respect to the injuries suffered by the victim, and to serve a 3-year term of supervised release, following his incarceration.

This case is a stark reminder of the dangers of product tampering and the devastating consequences it can have on individuals and families. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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