Three indicted for reselling stolen Beaumont equipment
Two former Beaumont Hospital employees and a medical supply distributor are facing federal charges of wire fraud for allegedly stealing medical equipment and selling it on the internet.
Prosecutors say some of the items may have been contaminated from being used in medical procedures before being stolen and sold.
Valdet Seferovic, 32, of Auburn Hills, Zafar Khan, 40, of Fenton, and Paul Purdy, 49, of Beavercreek, Ohio are named in the indictment, as announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Prosecutors allege that from 2003 to 2017, Purdy was employed at Beaumont Hospital where he stole medical devices and/or supplies from the hospital, then sold them via the internet to customers throughout the United States. The buyers weren’t told the products were stolen.
It’s also alleged that after he resigned from Beaumont in 2017, Purdy enlisted Seferovic to continue the scheme. Seferovic, who worked at the hospital, had access to medical supplies as well as the cleaning and disinfecting of hospital rooms.
Primarily, Purdy and Seferovic are alleged to have stolen cystoscopes, used
to examine the urethra and bladder, ophthalmoscopes, used for examining the retina and other parts of the eye, and otoscopes, used for inspecting the ears. Prosecutors say the cystoscopes may have been contaminated as they were stolen from the cleaning and disinfecting room after being used in surgical procedures.
According to the indictment, in September 2017, Seferovic also agreed to steal and sell medical devices and/or medical supplies to Zafar Khan, owner of Wholesale Medical & Surgical Suppliers of America, LLC. Once Khan acquired the stolen medical devices and/or medical supplies he sold them to unsuspecting purchasers via the internet, the indictment states.
“These defendants used their employment status to circumvent the safety protocols established by Beaumont Hospital to profit from the theft of medical devices and put the health and safety of the general public at risk in doing so,” Schneider stated in a news release. “This indictment should send a clear message that our office is committed to prosecuting anyone who would endanger the health and safety of the general public for personal gain.”
Added Special Agent in Charge Lynda Burdelik of the FDA office of Criminal Investigations in Chicago: “Medical devices that are removed from their rightful place in a hospital or other medical setting put patients’ health at risk by denying them access to needed diagnostic imaging and treatment. We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public’s health for profit. And we commend our law enforcement colleagues for their assistance in this case.”
Mark Geary, spokesperson for Beaumont Health, issued this statement:
“We are aware of the investigation and continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement. As the largest health system in Michigan, we acquire large amounts of medical supplies and equipment to serve our patients. This kind of theft does a disservice to more than just Beaumont — it does a disservice to the community. We have confidence in the legal process and trust a just result will be achieved. In addition, Beaumont has enhanced security protocols and implemented additional checks and balances across the organization to reduce the chances of something like this happening again.”