An image shared on Facebook claims Pfizer Vice President Rady Johnson was arrested by federal agents and charged with multiple counts of fraud. 

Verdict: False

There is no evidence to suggest Johnson has been arrested. The rumor stems from a satirical website.

Fact Check:

The Facebook post shows a screengrab of a tweet that reads, “It’s started. Vice President of #Pfizer has been arrested at his home and charged with multiple counts of fraud by US federal agents. #PfizeGate #PfizerDump.” The tweet includes a link to an article from the Vancouver Times titled “VP of Pfizer arrested after document dump.”

There is no evidence to suggest Johnson has been arrested or charged with any crime. Neither the Department of Justice nor Pfizer has issued any statement or press release about the alleged arrest. There are likewise no credible news reports about Johnson’s purported detainment.

A spokesperson for Pfizer told Check Your Fact in an email that the claim is false. (RELATED: Was Anthony Fauci Arrested In April 2022?)

The rumor appears to stem from a May 6 article published by the Vancouver Times, a website that identifies itself as the “most trusted source for satire on the West Coast.” A satire disclaimer appears at the bottom of the original article. Notably, no such disclaimer is included in the Facebook post. 

This is not the first time a rumor about a high-ranking Pfizer official being arrested has circulated on the internet. Check Your Fact debunked a viral claim in November 2021 that alleged Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla had been arrested by the FBI at his home.