Dr. Butler Now Days Away From Freedom - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

The former Texas Tech scientist who caused a nationwide bioterrorism scare is now 21 days from freedom.

Thomas Butler will be released from a half-way house in Lubbock on January 2nd. He was serving his two-year sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth through late November.

In 2003, Dr. Butler reported that vials of plague were stolen from his care but he later admitted he may have accidentally destroyed the vials. Butler was later convicted on 47 charges including defrauding the Texas Tech Health Sciences center. He settled with Tech for $250,000 and voluntarily gave up his medical license.

Butler's lawyer says the 64-year-old plans to return to his family and begin searching for work upon his release.

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