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Ex-Pharmacy Tech Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud in NECC Case
BOSTON – A former New England Compounding Center (NECC) employee has pleaded guilty to mail fraud in connection with the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak that killed dozens of people across the country.
Scott M. Connolly, 46, of East Greenwich, R.I., pleaded guilty to 10 counts of mail fraud in federal court in Boston on [date].
Connolly worked as an unlicensed pharmacy technician at NECC in Framingham, Mass., from 2010 to 2012, despite being required to be licensed under Massachusetts regulations. He produced thousands of cardioplegia solutions that were sent to customers throughout the country, using a computerized pump and falsifying his employment file to make it appear as though he was a warehouse employee.
To avoid detection by regulators, Connolly used his supervisor’s username and password to log into the computerized pump, ensuring that his name would not appear on any paperwork generated when he filled the cardioplegia orders. He also failed to perform the required validation tests.
Connolly’s guilty plea came as part of a larger investigation into the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak, which was caused by contaminated vials of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) manufactured by NECC.
Two other high-ranking officials at NECC, Barry Cadden and Glenn Chin, were previously convicted of racketeering and mail fraud charges related to the outbreak. Cadden was sentenced to 108 months in prison, while Chin received an eight-year sentence.
Connolly faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. His sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Northeast Field Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys George P. Varghese and Amanda P.M. Strachan are prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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