A 47-year-old convicted felon suspected of perpetrating numerous thefts at hospitals, netting tens of thousands of dollars of equipment, while posing as an employee at each facility, pleaded not guilty Friday to grand theft and other charges.
Jason Suniga Brauner of San Jacinto was arrested Wednesday following a monthlong Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.
Along with theft, Brauner is charged with burglary, receiving stolen property, and being a prior-strike felon.
According to Sheriff’s Sgt. Bryan Whitley, on the afternoon of July 9, deputies were alerted to an alleged theft at Eisenhower Health on Bob Hope Drive, resulting in the loss of unspecified medical gear.
Whitley said the ensuing investigation identified Brauner as the alleged perpetrator.
“Brauner … gained access to restricted areas of the facility while dressed as hospital staff,” the sergeant said. “Over three separate incidents in June and July, Brauner stole more than $100,000 worth of surgical equipment and skin grafts, wearing blue scrubs and a surgical mask to blend in with hospital personnel and avoid detection.”
Whitley said further investigation confirmed the defendant had committed similar thefts at hospitals in Loma Linda and Newport Beach.
“There may be additional victims,” he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, San Diego County sheriff’s deputies, acting on information received from detectives in Riverside County, spotted the defendant driving southbound in Del Mar and initiated a traffic stop, taking him into custody without incident and turning him over to Riverside County law enforcement.
Detectives additionally executed a search warrant at his residence in the 1400 block of Potomac Circle, “resulting in the recovery of additional stolen medical supplies valued between $10,000 and $25,000,” according to Whitley.
He was arraigned Friday before Superior Court Judge Arthur Hester at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. At the request of Brauner’s public defender, Hester scheduled a Veterans Court eligibility hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice for Aug. 15.
Information regarding the defendant’s prior military experience was unavailable. Former service members who have committed nonviolent offenses can be referred to the Veterans Court program and, if accepted, they’re able to receive therapy, obtain vocational training, and exercise other options while on probation. The program is intended to keep offenders out of jail.
Brauner is being held on $100,000 bail at the Benoit Detention Center.
Details on Brauner’s prior convictions were unavailable, but court records indicated that he served time in state prison.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: San Jacinto man accused of Stealing $100K in hospital equipment
Reporting by City News Service / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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