After police in Ventura County, California, arrested and imprisoned Judy Mikovits November 18, they gave some details on criminal charges against chronic fatigue syndrome researcher well known (CFS). According to the Ventura County Sheriff, she was a fugitive from justice arrested on a warrant from Washoe County, Nevada, and was "not Bailable."
Now Science Insider learned that his crime warrant was issued by the Reno justice Court in Washoe County. district Attorney, he accused Mikovits with "possession of stolen property," according to a document filed with the court, and "illegal taking of computer data, equipment, supplies or other computer assets. " Mikovits's former employer, the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) for Neuro-Immune Disease in Reno, also filed court papers yesterday that shed more light on the arrest.
WPI fired Mikovits September 29 because she said she refused to share a cell line with another researcher there.
On November 4, WPI has filed a civil suit against Mikovits the second court of the judicial district of Washoe County in Reno. This violation of cases of alleged contract Mikovits was mistaken laboratory notebooks and other data from his laboratory after WPI fired her.
WPI is housed on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno, and the chief of campus police, Adam Garcia, said Science Insider that the arrest warrant is linked to a breakthrough and theft reported to the ministry on November 9. Garcia would not specify the alleged burglary date occurred. Garcia also would not specify who reported the alleged crime beyond saying it was WPI "staff." He noted that there was an ongoing investigation and would neither confirm nor deny the participation of other law enforcement agencies. "This is a University of Nevada police case," he said. Garcia said that contrary to information on the Ventura County Sheriff website. Mikovits could be released on bail of $ 100,000. Mikovits has an appearance in the criminal case scheduled for today at the Ventura Superior Court at 13:30
A preliminary injunction on the civil case is, coincidentally, also to be held today the same exact time in Second judicial district court in Reno, which Mikovits lawyers filed a motion in opposition. In a response to their request, the lawyers yesterday WPI filed documents with the second court in Reno accusing Mikovits of having "orchestrated the theft of the embezzled property." WPI's lawyers allege that Mikovits "loaded" a research assistant who worked with her to "take irreplaceable patient samples and laboratory notebooks." According to their court filing and an affidavit from the research assistant, he followed his instructions and hid the notebook in a "Happy Birthday" bag, first in his condo and later in the garage of his mother. The filing of the court said Mikovits retrieve October 17. Garcia said he is yet to determine whether others will be arrested.
Call for civilian lawyers Mikovits lead were not returned, and when the press earlier today, it was unclear who would represent it at the criminal hearing.
Mikovits entered international scene in October 09 when she led a team that published a study in Science a revolutionary discovery possibly linked to CFS. Mikovits and colleagues reported that 67% of CFS patients they tested harbored XMRV a mouse retrovirus called recently discovered. Other laboratories soon reported that they had difficulty to confirm the finding, which has led the CFS community to split into different camps. WPI firmly standing by the Working Mikovits, even after one of the laboratories, she collaborated with the Science study withdrew its contribution to the paper because contamination had contaminated the data it provided. The quarrel between WPI and Mikovits came after a second paper Science she co-author reported that nine laboratories, including WPI's-could not reliably find XMRV or related viruses in samples blind patients.
Mikovits lives in Ventura County and one of his friends there, Lilly Meehan's house was searched on November 18 in relation to the case. "They sat me down in my chair, and they would not let me up or get water," says Meehan, who said three police officers Ventura County showed him a search warrant and combed through his house for half an hour.
Meehan, who has two daughters with CFS, believes she was dragged into the investigation because of his blog posts defending Mikovits. On a blog for CFS patients and advocates, Meehan criticized a letter to "friends and patients," the president of WPI, Annette Whittemore, who explained why the institute had continued Mikovits. "I am beyond outraged the shameful accusations veiled by Annette Whittemore in his letter today, "says Meehan.
Meehan now manages a legal defense fund for Mikovits.
Annette Whittemore, president of 'Whittemore Peterson Institute, issued the following statement on November 19:
the Whittemore Peterson Institute was required to report the theft of his laboratory materials to law enforcement authorities. those authorities shall take the measures they deem necessary.
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