Drug Discovery and Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Genomics/Proteomics
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • R&D 100 Awards
  • Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50

Merck Biochemist Arrested, Charged with Running GHB Lab in His Home

By Drug Discovery Trends Editor | June 22, 2015

Kurt Romondt, of Springfield, is being held on $200,000, charged with manufacturing the recreational drug GHB in his home, authorities said. (Credit: Union County Prosecutor's Office)A senior biochemist at Merck was arrested last week and charged with running a drug lab at his home, authorities announced.

Kurt Romondt, a 44-year-old from Springfield, N.J., was arrested after receiving a large shipment of a chemical commonly used to synthesize GHB, said Grace H. Park, the Union County Prosecutor.

A search of Romondt’s home on June 18 turned up 2,745 grams of gamma butyrolactone, which is used to synthesize GHB, in addition to 300 milliliters of GHB, said the prosecutor. Also found in the home was a scale and equipment to process and produce the drug, authorities allege.

Romondt is a senior scientist at Merck, authorities said.

GHB is used as a recreation drug in small amounts, when it can act as a stimulant, according to the prosecutor’s office. At larger quantities, it has been used as a date-rape drug.

Romondt is charged with first-degree maintaining a controlled dangerous substance production facility, second-degree possession of GHB with the intent to distribute, and an additional third-degree drug charge, authorities said. The first-degree charge is punishable by 10 to 20 years in state prison.

Romondt is being held at Union County Jail on $200,000 bail. County corrections officials confirmed that Romondt made his first court appearance today – but did not have any attorney of record listed in court records.

The investigation was a joint operation involving the county’s Gangs, Drugs and Violent Crimes Task Force, in addition to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and local police.


Filed Under: Drug Discovery

 

Related Articles Read More >

Takeda Pharmaceutical in the Drug Discovery & Development Pharma 50
Takeda’s Takhzyro fares well in pediatric hereditary angioedema study
Novartis in the Pharma 50
Novartis to cut up to 8,000 positions
Gilead Sciences in the Drug Discovery & Development Pharma 50
Gilead resubmits application to FDA for twice-yearly HIV drug lenacapavir
George Floyd mural
How the pandemic and George Floyd made clinical trial diversity a priority

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.

Need Drug Discovery news in a minute?

We Deliver!
Drug Discovery & Development Enewsletters get you caught up on all the mission critical news you need. Sign up today.
Enews Signup
Drug Discovery and Development
  • MASSDEVICE
  • DEVICETALKS
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • MEDICAL TUBING + EXTRUSION
  • MEDTECH 100
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Subscribe to our Free E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Drug Discovery & Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Genomics/Proteomics
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • R&D 100 Awards
  • Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50