A vaccine researcher who coauthored often-cited papers dismissing the theory that vaccines cause autism will likely plead guilty to criminal charges, a prosecutor said.
Poul Thorsen “is expected to plead guilty” during a Sept. 1 hearing in federal court in Georgia, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia told The Epoch Times in an Aug. 25 email.
Thorsen, a Danish national, pleaded not guilty during a hearing in May after being extradited from Europe. He recently notified the judge overseeing the case that he wanted to change his plea, according to a court docket entry. As a result, a change of plea hearing is scheduled for Sept. 1, the judge said.
Federal prosecutors were directed to draft a plea agreement and provide it to the judge prior to the hearing.
Thorsen’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Thorsen was indicted in 2011 on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. He allegedly stole more than $1 million in grant money the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded to agencies in Denmark that were researching autism.
Thorsen was arrested in Germany over the summer and extradited to the United States.
“Poul Thorsen allegedly stole more than $1 million in federal grant money by submitting fabricated invoices and diverting funds to his personal bank accounts,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement at the time. “International fugitives who think they can avoid responsibility for serious federal crimes by living overseas are wrong. Due to the unwavering persistence of my office and our law enforcement partners, Thorsen has been extradited to the United States and will face justice in federal court.”
If convicted, Thorsen faces up to 110 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines.
Thorsen has coauthored multiple papers, including a 2002 paper that analyzed data on children in Denmark and concluded that there was no association between measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination and autism, a disorder that can include symptoms such as difficulty speaking and processing emotions.
A dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is displayed at the Neighborcare Health clinics at Vashon Island High School in Vashon Island, Wash, on May 15, 2019. (Elaine Thompson/The Associated Press)
The papers do not have an editor’s note or any other marking concerning the allegations against Thorsen.
While those and some other papers have not found indications of a connection between vaccines and autism, certain other publications have, including a 2025 paper from U.S. researchers, published in Science, Public Health Policy, and the Law.
U.S. officials have said they are conducting new studies to determine the causes of autism.