Barry Cadden: Pharmacy exec sentenced in meningitis outbreak
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Barry Cadden was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for his role in the deadly 2012 meningitis outbreak. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
Barry Cadden, the co-owner of a Massachusetts pharmacy that was blamed for the deaths of 76 people in a nation-wide meningitis outbreak, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Monday.
Cadden was acquitted of second-degree murder charges, but was convicted on conspiracy and fraud charges.
BARRY CADDEN: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE EX-PHARMACY EXEC TIED TO DEADLY MENINGITIS OUTBREAK
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The deadly 2012 meningitis outbreak, which also sickened hundreds of people, was traced back to contaminated injections of medical steroids made by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, which Cadden co-owned.
Cadden apologized to the victims who were sickened or lost loved ones in court Monday.
Prosecutors argued that Cadden ran the center dangerously by dodging industry sterility regulations in order to sell more products and make more money.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MENINGITIS OUTBREAK: MURDER OR PUBLIC HEALTH TRAGEDY?
Prosecutors asked the judge to sentence Cadden to 35 years in prison, while Cadden’s lawyer argued he should get 2 1/2 to 3 years. His lawyer also argued that Glenn Chin, a supervisory pharmacist who oversaw the rooms where the drugs were made, was responsible for the meningitis deaths.
The judge sentenced Cadden with the harshest penalty possible under the law. He must report to prison by August 7, but remains free on bond until that date.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.