MIAMI – Kevin Mulleady, a self-described “serial entrepreneur” and former associate of disgraced “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli, was arrested in Miami on Thursday after being accused of threatening to kill three former business partners he’s known for “several years” ― including Shkreli.
Mulleady, 42, of Brickell, is facing three felony charges. In open court Friday, Shkreli was identified as one of the victims. The others were identified as Shkreli’s friend, Edmund Sullivan, and former Vyera Pharmaceuticals executive Akeel Mithani.
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Mulleady was once the CEO of Vyera, a company founded by Shkreli as Turing Pharmaceuticals. The company came under fire in 2015 for raising the price of a life-saving medication by roughly 4,000% after obtaining exclusive rights to it. Shkreli, 42, would later go to prison for securities fraud and conspiracy.
In 2021, the Irish-born Mulleady was banned as part of a settlement from “working for, consulting for, or controlling a pharmaceutical company” for seven years.
According to the MDSO arrest report, the investigation into Mulleady began on March 27 after one of the victims reported to the FBI that Mulleady sent threats via social media platform X to him and the other victims.
The report doesn’t specify which threats were sent directly to Shkreli.
The report states that on March 16, Mulleady sent a direct message to the victim stating the following: “I will kill you with my bare hands if I was legally permitted to do it. I think about ending your life bc you are a really bad person. I dare you to call the cops. Hit #1 for Kevin threating (sic) you. You are a weak evil man. Im going to take you down. Bring your worst. Ill bring mine.”
Deputies said it continued with, “I hate you. I want you to die. So call the cops you lil f----t. Tell them Kevin Patrick Mulleady is going to kill you. Maybe the NYAG (New York attorney general) could help you with my threats on your life im coming for you. Im going to hurt you big time. It will include physical pain. Kiss kiss b----.”
On Jan. 23, 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James mentioned Mulleady in a news release announcing what her office called “the latest win against Martin Shkreli.”
The arrest report states Mulleady later contacted the victim and said things including, “Did you call the FBI? So you did. Youre a weak man. Im going to make you meet Jesus” and “I will drive that last (nail) in your coffin. I dream about ending you every night.”
Authorities said he texted photos of guns to the two other victims and, in one of the texts, wrote, after sending a photo of a gun, “Im going to murder Martin. Not sure if I should kill you yet. Im going to kill him and maybe you. This will be the gun that kills you.”
Deputies said he also sent a threatening voicemail. They went to Mulleady’s apartment in the Infinity at Brickell building, located at 60 SW 13th St., on Thursday to serve a risk protection order and arrest him.
The arrest report states that Mulleady surrendered a firearm, “equipped with an installed silencer,” “along with over 500 rounds of ammunition.”
Authorities said he requested an attorney.
Mulleady appeared in Miami-Dade bond court on Friday morning, where Judge Mindy Glazer ordered he be held on a $22,500 bond after finding probable cause to charge him with three counts of written threats to kill or do bodily injury.
According to court documents, Mulleady, who claims to have ”founded or co-founded over 25 successful companies," is indigent and is being represented by the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office. He does not own his Brickell apartment, he testified in court.
Mulleady’s attorney said in court Friday, regarding the charges, “It’s easy for people to accuse you of s---, but it’s harder for them to really prove it at the trial.”
“Anybody can go on their phone and write something from somebody else. I can program a phone number to say it’s your name,” the attorney continued.
Jail records show that if he posts bond, he’ll be on Level 3 house arrest ― the least restrictive form. He was also ordered to stay away from Shkreli and the other two victims and not communicate with them online.
Those records show he was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Friday afternoon.