US prosecutors mull further action against Martin Shkreli in relation to his involvement with biopharmaceutical company Retrophin
Martin Shkreli, the notorious former pharma chief executive, could be about to face fresh charges.
Shkreli, who famously hiked the price of a drug by 5,000 per cent last year sparking a public outcry, now could face additional charges of securities fraud, federal prosecutor Winston Paes said at a hearing in New York.
The future charges would relate to Shkreli's involvement with biopharmaceutical company Retrophin and could be filed within a month.
Shkreli was arrested in December on fraud charges relating to how he ran his investment funds and companies. The charges were unrelated to drug pricing.
Benjamin Brafman, Shkreli's lawyer, told reporters he did not believe additional charges would change the existing case against his client.
Shkreli took to Twitter after the hearing, claiming he was innocent and agreeing with a fellow Twitter user who said he would not get a fair trial.
Given that I didn't commit a crime, I agree. https://t.co/20j9eEnU73
— Martin Shkreli (e/acc) (@MartinShkreli) May 3, 2016
Shkreli has been a controversial figure on Twitter since he first entered the public eye, evoking mixed reactions from posts that both defend his own actions and criticise the government.