Steven R. Brandenburg
Look up in the sky. What do you see? A former Wisconsin pharmacist allegedly believed the sky was a shield to stop people from seeing God. The recently released FBI search warrant application on defendant Steven R. Brandenburg, 46, reveals more context around the alleged motivations and mindset fueling his sabotage of 570 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
His pharmacy technician at Advocate Aurora Health Systems told investigators the defendant was big on conspiracy theories, according to documents (h/t The Daily Beast). For example, he would tell her the earth was flat and that the sky was not real. Instead, what we see up there is “a shield put up by the Government to prevent individuals from seeing God.” Also, “Judgment Day” was coming.
His attorney of record did not immediately respond to a Law&Crime request for comment.
Authorities previously described Brandenburg as an admitted conspiracy theorist, who confessed to ruining the Moderna doses because he believed they could change DNA (they don’t). Officials say 57 people took the ruined versions of the vaccines.
Records from his ongoing divorce backed up the conspiracy theory claim. His wife said that he was stocking up on food and guns in rental units, and that he believed the world was “crashing down,” according to filings obtained by WISN.
In this story, that got her so worried for herself and her kids that she left town for a while. Citing a story in which her 6-year-old daughter told her “Heaven” was their home, the wife said that she believed her children were at risk of being harmed, “specially that Steven would take the children to heaven.”
Records show a federal plea agreement dated Tuesday in the sabotage case, in which Brandenburg would plead guilty to two counts of attempt to tampering with a consumer product. Both sides are set to make this formal in a hearing set for Feb. 9.
You can read the plea agreement below:
Steven Brandenburg Plea Agreement by Law&Crime on Scribd