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New England Compounding Center Executive Convicted of Fraud, Racketeering

  • State: Massachusetts
  • Topic: NORTH
  • - Popular with: Legal
  • -  0 shares

The former co-owner and head pharmacist of New England Compounding Center, the Massachusetts pharmacy whose tainted drug shipments caused a deadly meningitis outbreak, was convicted of fraud and racketeering charges on Wednesday but cleared of murder charges, the Boston Globe reported.

Barry Cadden

Barry Cadden
(Wrentham Police Dept. photo)

The verdict spared Barry Cadden, 50, from a life sentence for his role in causing a fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people and sickened more than 700, one of the largest pharmaceutical scandals in U.S. history.

The 12-member federal jury found Cadden guilty on 57 of the 96 charges he faced, including fraud, conspiracy and racketeering. His sentencing is scheduled for June 21. 

In a news conference after the verdict was read, acting U.S. Attorney William Weinreb called the case a "national tragedy" and the result of Cadden placing "profits over patients."

He said he was disappointed that jurors did not find Cadden responsible for the deaths of patients but said the trial showed that his conduct directly resulted in the conditions that caused the meningitis outbreak. 

Defense attorney Bruce Singal said he plans to appeal on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to convict Cadden, an executive not directly involved in the process of mixing drugs. He said that Cadden never should have been accused of murder. 

“Murder is the worst crime known to humanity, and it is a terrible injustice that Barry Cadden was labeled with this charge by the government for more than two years,” Singal told the Globe. 

Jurors deliberated for 20 hours before reaching a verdict. The nine-week trial included testimony from more than 60 witnesses.

Prosecutors told jurors how Cadden had skirted industry regulations to boost profits, well aware of the dangers that posed. Cadden promised in sales pitches that New England Compounding Center followed testing protocols and used state-of-the-art-equipment, though he knew it did not, prosecutors said.

In summer 2012, unsanitary conditions at the pharmacy led to three batches of a steroid shot becoming contaminated with fungus. Those shots were shipped to pain management clinics, where doctors injected patients with the contaminated drugs. 

Dee Morell, who attended the trial, said she suffers from such intense pain in her hip from the contaminated shot she received in 2012 that she cannot work and requires daily pain medication.

"He had no regard for human life, really. He was very greed-oriented," she said.

She told the Globe she hopes to attend the April trial of another New England Compounding Center pharmacist, Glenn Chin. During his trial, Cadden tried to blame Chin for many of the issues at the pharmacy.

Seven other people associated with New England Compounding Center are set to go to trial on charges related to the outbreak. 

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