Authorities in Wisconsin have revealed more details about the pharmacist suspected of intentionally trying to spoil dozens of vials of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. In a probable cause statement obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a detective wrote that Steven Brandenburg, 46, admitted to intentionally removing 57 vials of the vaccine from the refrigerator so they would go bad.
The vaccines can last about 12 hours after they are taken out of the refrigerator.
He told investigators he did it because he believed the vaccines could alter people's DNA, even though there is no evidence to support those claims. According to WISN, his wife accused him of being an "admitted conspiracy theorist" and said that she was worried about her safety and the safety of their children in legal papers she filed in December.
She claimed that he was stockpiling food, water, and guns and believed that "the government is planning cyber attacks and plans to shut down the power grid."
"I was so concerned about my safety and the safety of the children, that I left town for a period of time," she wrote in the filing.
Brandenburg was detained on charges of endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug, and criminal damage to property but has not yet been formally charged. Officials said they are waiting for Moderna to test the vaccines to determine if they were actually spoiled after being left out overnight.
Photo: Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office