01/07/2009

Associated Press

A northern Indiana recycling company owner has pleaded guilty to selling defective diabetic glucose test strips, many of which were voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer because they were defective.

William Greg Kroa admitted in federal court in South Bend Tuesday that instead of disposing of the strips, he began selling them on the Internet.

Kroa is owner and president of Nor Am Plastics Recycling Inc. of Knox. The pharmaceutical company Bayer paid Kroa $8,000 to dispose of the test strips after a 2007 recall.

Kroa told the court that he is diabetic and tried some of the strips on himself before attempting to sell them. Prosecutors say all the defective strips have been removed from the market.

Kroa is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 19.

___

Information from: South Bend Tribune, http://www.southbendtribune.com