Four white-collar defendants hope to avoid prison Monday when they are sentenced in Philadelphia for unapproved medical trials that left three people dead.
Federal prosecutors say the former Synthes executives bypassed safety rules and let surgeons test bone cement in people with spine fractures. They will push for one-year prison sentences.
The defendants are asking for probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor as "responsible corporate officers."
They are former Synthes North America President Michael Huggins of West Chester; former Senior Vice President Thomas Higgins of Berwyn; former Vice President Richard Bohner of Malvern; and ex-Director of Regulatory Affairs John Walsh of Coatesville.
Synthes and its subsidiary, Norian Corp., pleaded guilty to fraud charges and agreed to pay $23 million in fines. Synthes has a U.S. headquarters in West Chester.
