The Wisconsin chemist who worked out a multi-million dollar scheme with a prominent Pine man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy, mail and wire fraud in federal court.
Robert Wandler entered the plea in Milwaukee. It was the second set of charges he pleaded to, after admitting to tax counts back in July.
According to the plea agreement, he faces a likely sentencing range of 53 to 61 months in prison.
He admitted to helping Timothy A. Heffner overbill Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Corp., where Mr. Wandler worked as a chemist. While there, he oversaw the buying and selling of chemical compounds from the Rare Chemical Library there.
Mr. Heffner was the owner of Biotechnology Corp. of America, a company that bought and sold rare chemicals in drug and agricultural pursuits. He ran the business out of his home in Pine.
Mr. Wandler would sell Biotechnology rare chemicals at reduced rates. Then, Mr. Heffner would sell the compounds back to Sigma-Aldrich for a huge profit -- between 85 and 95 percent, according to court papers.
Mr. Heffner pleaded guilty in July.
First Published: December 4, 2007, 9:30 p.m.