Grand Rapids - The former MSU graduate student charged with lying to federal authorities about misusing more than $400,000 in federal research grant money made his initial court appearance today and waived his right to an arraignment.
Scott Matthew Doree, a former microbiology student, has been accused of making false statements to FBI agents, mail fraud and misapplication of fraudulently obtained federal funds.
At the Ford Federal Building, U.S. Magistrate Judge Ellen S. Carmody set his next appearance for 1:30 p.m. April 21 as a status conference. But if a federal grand jury decides there is probable cause he committed the crimes, the conference could evolve into an arraignment.
Steven Scharg, Doree's attorney, refused to comment outside the courtroom.
Doree was released on a $2,500 unsecured appearance bond. He also must stay in Michigan and take no drugs unless prescribed by a doctor.
"The feds first feared of Frankenpig and this turned into 'Operation Porky Ate My Homework,'" Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Meyer said.
According to the complaint, Doree admitted to staging the theft and faking his research, partly because of "pure laziness."
After graduating from MSU in May of 1997, Doree enrolled as a microbiology graduate student. That fall he became involved in a federally funded project to find a vaccine for actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae - a deadly pig bacteria.
If convicted, Doree, a 28-year-old Howell resident, faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Police and FBI determined his graduate studies were fake, however, after an investigation following the alleged theft of his research material concluded they never existed.
Doree, who expected to continue with post-doctoral work at the University of Michigan, alerted police on Sept. 13 - his last day at MSU - that his work had been stolen from a locked laboratory in the Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building. The "missing" research materials included notebooks and two vials of the bacteria.
The theft touched off a statewide alert to veterinarians, urging them to prepare to treat the bacteria.
However, within 96 hours of Doree's call, MSU police found he had entered the lab twice before dialing 911, and Doree could not account for the time lapse between the entries.
Meyer praised quick work by MSU police Monday.
"The first 96 hours was absolutely critical," Meyer said.
