Pharmacist Glenn Chin Sentenced for Role in 2012 Michigan Meningitis Outbreak

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Written By Blue & Gold NLR Team

 

 

Glenn Chin, a former pharmacist from Massachusetts, has been sentenced to 7.5 to 15 years in prison for his role in the 2012 meningitis outbreak that led to 11 deaths in Michigan.

Chin, who worked at the New England Compounding Center NECC, was linked to the contamination of methylprednisolone, a steroid that caused fatal infections when administered to patients at Michigan Pain Specialists Clinic in Genoa Township.

The patients, including Donna Kruzich, Paula Brent, and others, died after receiving epidural injections of the contaminated drug.

Chin pleaded no contest to 11 counts of involuntary manslaughter, meaning he did not admit guilt but accepted the consequences of the charges.

He had already been serving a 10.5-year federal sentence on racketeering charges related to the case. His Michigan sentence will run concurrently with his federal one, allowing him to be eligible for parole in around 11 months, considering time already served.

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office originally charged Chin with second-degree murder, but the plea agreement reduced the charges.

Chin’s defense attorney, Bill Livingston, emphasized that no prosecution had proven intent or malice in the contamination.

Chin’s co-defendant, Barry Cadden, the owner of NECC, received a longer sentence and was deemed more responsible for the outbreak.

The sentencing marks the end of a long legal process that began over six years ago, providing some closure to the families of the victims.

 

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